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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22729105">More than an Innovade</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Courageous_Cat/pseuds/Courageous_Cat'>Courageous_Cat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gundam 00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, M/M, Oral Sex, Politics, Post-Canon, Romance, Science Fiction, Social Issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:54:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,347</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22729105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Courageous_Cat/pseuds/Courageous_Cat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tieria has spent the past five years within Veda, and now he has a body once again. With an increasing number of pure Innovators in the world, how will humanity adapt to that change?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lyle Dylandy/Tieria Erde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work was originally posted at Fanfiction.net in 2009-2010 with the same title. There are some scenes that I want to improve before posting, so I'll release chapters as I go. I may also add chapters beyond the original (there are currently 7) since I have ideas on where it's going. I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tieria has spent five years within Veda, but to he and Regene it has been the equivalence of many lifetimes. To communicate with the Ptolemy crew takes great patience because of the difference in perceived time, even with those who are now Innovators, but he does so often. He found that if he spends too long without human interaction, he becomes aloof from the people he is using Veda to protect. He has also made new connections with acquaintances around the world that have the strongest link with Veda, and they share information when they notice each other’s presence. </p><p>But he spends the majority of his time searching. He has access to everything that Veda knows, and Veda knows every keystroke that is typed, every video or audio link communicated, every piece of data collected that is shared amongst peers by either the internet or direct link to true Innovators. He and his brother have learned how to sift through what has been tagged as the most significant pieces of information, and they share with each other what has been found. </p><p>There has not been a war in these five long years, and there has been no sign of those that Aolia believed will come. According to Ribbons' recovered files, it should take another generation, and he has seen no change in variable that would make him think differently. Still, he stays vigilant.</p><p>While reviewing space probe data from one of Earths many satellites logs, Tieria received a direct communication from Setsuna. Their rapport is strong due to a combination of the large number of communications they have had, and the camaraderie they have shared.</p><p>"Your new bodies will be ready in two weeks. Will you want to transfer then?"</p><p>Regene heard the message as well and said, "That is much sooner than they last reported."</p><p>"That is more than adequate time to prepare. All has been quiet, relatively speaking. There is no reason why we both cannot go, since we can return to Veda whenever we wish."</p><p>"Yes, and we can retain our link to Veda while we're out there. I wonder how foreign it will seem to have physical form again."</p><p>"That…is one of the questions that neither of us knows the answer too. We will simply have to find out when it's time." The interval of time that the Innovades spoke was imperceptible to Setsuna, but Setsuna heard Tiera reply, "We will both be ready at that time, but I will go first. I look forward to seeing you all again."</p><p>Setsuna said nothing further, but Tieria knew that his words were heard.</p><p>The Innovades then put full attention to their work, knowing it would be their last opportunity for an unknown amount of time. But one day before his transfer, when Tieria noticed that Lockon was using his computer terminal, he took the opportunity to do something of a different nature for the last time in the immediate future. He blanked out Lockon's monitor screen, and made his message appear, "Don't you have something better to do?" referring to the pornographic site that was on the screen until a moment ago.</p><p>Turing on his audio feed but keeping the video off, Lockon replies, "Asshole! I could say the same to you.<br/>
Unimaginable volumes of information at your non-fingertips, and you decide to see how I'm doing now?” </p><p>"The site was open for 48 seconds" came the response on the screen. Tieria highly doubted that enough time had passed to truly disturb him. It was just enough of a duration for Lockon to get pissed, but not angry enough to stop talking to him. Though he values all of his communications, Tieria owes his talks with Lockon, more than with anyone else, to keeping his humanity intact while not in a physical body. It's all too easy in his current state to disregard his emotions. And right now, as he had hoped, he is feeling amused.</p><p>"Even so! Don't expect that you can do that when you're back here with us."</p><p>"Of course not", came the response. Tieria knew that he did not need to defend himself. Over the last five years, he has maintained many friendships. And in this friendship, this type of banter is not out of bounds.</p><p>Lockon changed topics to the most obvious, "I would ask if you're prepared for the transfer, but I know you must have the standard operating procedure all sorted out."</p><p>It was then that Tieria realized the real reason he was talking to Lockon. Strictly speaking, he was prepared for the transfer. But a part of him didn't want to only be able to retain a small amount of knowledge compared to what he knows now, and to have to re-accustom himself to the full range and depth of human emotion. He has spoken with Regene about their doubts on a number of occasions. However, communicating with someone in the world he was about to reenter gave him the necessary resolve. In the end, Tieria simply responded, "I am as prepared as I can be, but the doctors think it will take some time to adjust."</p><p>"That's an understatement", Lockon says with a chuckle.</p><p>~</p><p>Tieria woke up, which was an odd feeling because he knew he had not slept in years. He spent long moments, unmoving, staring at a white ceiling. He did not know where he was, but did not feel unsafe. After many more moments he worked out where he had been, and where he currently was, and he felt a slow smile grow on his face. It was then that a doctor's serious face hovered over him and asked him how he was feeling. That seemed to him like a loaded question but knew what she expected to hear, and said "fine".</p><p>The doctor introduced herself, and then proceeded to give him a physical examination whilst asking him questions that were meant to test his memory. Once she seemed satisfied, she left the room. A familiar face came through the door moments later with a curious expression.</p><p>"How are you?" asked Lockon.</p><p>"Disoriented", Tieria answered truthfully. "I remember my life before attaching to Veda, but only in generalities. And I feel like my mind is empty without it. Even if I link to it, it's really not the same."</p><p>"Well I guess that's close enough to what was expected, because the doc said you can go. I'm here to escort you to your quarters."</p><p>As Tiera began to, slightly unsteadily, walk down the corridor with Lockon, he couldn't help but think that traveling from one destination to another is a large waste of time. But looking around himself, he knew he made the right decision. The doctor had told him that time was the only remedy he needed. Regene would not follow along until he settled in for a few days.</p><p>As they entered what he assumed to be his quarters, Lockon announced, "Your uniform's on the bed. I'll be right outside if you need anything."</p><p>Tieria responded, "Yes, thank you." and after a brief pause Lockon left the room. He could not help but think that the way he looked to others was as strange as he felt. He sluggishly took off his robe, feeling every muscle as it worked. Feeling very alone, he almost opened his link to Veda, which would allow him to communicate with Regene, whom he missed already. ‘No.’ He said to himself. ‘I must follow the procedure, which I know is the best course of action, and allow myself to adjust to this body without the help of Veda.’</p><p>Instead, he caught sight of his body in the full length mirror on the far wall. It looked familiar. Right. Exactly the way he looked five years ago, but without any of the scars. It almost felt like his, but it would take time before he could consider it as anything but a vessel. Perhaps if he touched this body. He started at the face, touching his fingertips from the top of his forehead, lightly over his eyes, then his nose, next his pliant mouth, ending at the bottom of his chin. He felt happiness then, and more intensely than he was used to feeling. He realized more strongly than he had until now that he was glad to be here. With substance. With the people that he cared about.</p><p>He let his fingers continue with intense focus, excited by this revelation. Down his neck, chest, abdomen, and down the length of his penis. The skimming of the last caused him to shudder and the feeling washed over him. Before he could consider much further, there was a knock at his door.</p><p>"You doing alright in there?" came Lockon's voice through the door with slight impatience. Tieria's focus shifted to the man beyond the door.</p><p>"Yes. I'll need more time." he responded in the dazed way that he hadn't yet been able to shake off since returning. Hearing Lockon's voice, feeling its slight reverberations through him, after having just explored the body he hasn't had in so long made him instantly, intensely hard. This is something he had not anticipated, having lived a plutonic existence for so long. It was Lockon who did this to him, and Tieria knew he would not be able to recover quickly. "Come back later" he said.</p><p>Lockon must have thought that his voice was even more off than it had been before because he said, "I'm coming in" right before he went through the door. Tieria's first reaction was a mixture of fear, anger, and embarrassment, and he stood frozen with all of those emotions written on his face.</p><p>Within a split second of Lockon entering the room, he turned around to face a corner, and stood there, saying "Whoa! Having a malfunction there?"</p><p>Teria, not liking being compared to a machine didn't respond. The silence grew longer, and the longer it grew the pinker Lockon's cheeks became.</p><p>Tieria circled slowly towards the bed where he left his robe, never taking his eyes off of the side of Lockon’s face. And what he saw there was unease. He had no practical experience in dealing with a situation like this, but while putting on his robe, he recalled some of the videos of ordinary human interaction that he watched over the years. He could tell it was not the unease of straight men faced with the bodies of other men. It was the unease of attempting to hide desire from ones face.</p><p>Still running on instinct, he decided that he wanted to act on this realization. He didn't think he had ever been so full of lust. With dilated eyes and slightly parted mouth, he slowly walked a straight line, approaching Lockon from the side. When he arrived, he could see that Lockon was breathing harshly. He slowly turned his head from the corner of the room to Tieria’s face. He must have been surprised at the expression he found there. Lockon turned his body to face Tieria squarely. They stood there for a moment, both breathing fast.</p><p>Tieria took that time to examine Lockon's face. The years have added to his looks. Seeing him through the digital camera during their chats did not show him the subtleties that he sees now. When Tieria saw the growing want on his face, and focused on his lips, he knew he could not wait any longer. In one quick motion, he placed his hand behind Lockon's head and kissed him with the full force of his overwhelmed brain. He kissed him greedily, hungrily. As if he was starved for physical attention, which he may well have been. Lockon kissed him back. He could think of nothing but the present, and he relished in the feel of it. It wasn't long before Tieria deepened the kiss, reaching out his tongue to Lockon's and using both hands to bring their bodies closer together. And Lockon responded in kind, opening up his mouth to allow their tongues to duel fiercely. It was sloppy, and urgent, and brilliant.</p><p>They kept kissing for long moments, and then Lockon began kissing and sucking down Tieria's neck. Tieria knew he wanted that trail to continue, so he moved his shoulders in such a way that his robe slipped down and pooled at the floor. Lockon gave a small gasp, and began to kiss him deeply once again. But this time his hands began to rove over Tieria's body. His head, neck, shoulders, back, and chest. Teira let the sensations wash over him, and he wanted to feel Lockon's body the way Lockon was feeling his. He began to touch in abandon, and was soon frustrated by the clothing that Lockon still wore. His wandering hands went under the uniform jacket at the shoulders, and Tieria pushed down until the jacket hit the floor. He roughly rubbed the now uncovered skin of Lockon's biceps but it did not take long before he also wanted to remove the shirt.</p><p>Tieria was spurred on by the strong hand kneading his ass. He roughly pulled the hem of his shirts upward and their mouths parted only long enough for the clothing to go over Lockon's head. He let the shirts fall and his hands made contact with the warm, uncovered skin.</p><p>They relished in the delicious mutual contact for some time, until Tieria felt a firm grip on his cock. A new rush of intensity filled him, and he felt his last semblance of logic slip away. He spun Lockon around so that his back was facing the bed, and pushed him over to the bed until they both fell on top of it, with Tieria above Lockon. Lockon gave a breathless laugh, spit on his hand, and continued with what we was doing before he was pushed. Tieria was temporarily paralyzed by the pleasure of it. There was a constant pressure rubbing up and down his length, with occasional special attention to his head.<br/>
While continuing to kiss, and feeling the hand on his erection, he lifted his body weight slightly and clumsily opened Lockon's belt buckle. He could feel the hard-on under Lockon's pants and took the opportunity to rub.</p><p>He then managed to unbutton and unzipper his pants, and pull out Lockon's cock. Tieria licked his hand, and then kissed him harder as they brought each other closer to mutual satisfaction. The build-up was all consuming, and Tieria was eventually panting so hard that it was difficult to kiss any longer. After wetting their hands once again, they looked each other in the eye and increased the intensity of their movements.</p><p>When he couldn't hold back any longer, Tieria scrunched his eyes shut, but still saw teal as he came. Guttural sounds tore from his throat with each wave of his orgasm. He picked up the pace of his hand again, until he could see and feel Lockon stiffen and stretch his body beneath him signifying his own orgasm.</p><p>When he was done, still catching his breath, Tieria rolled off of Lockon and onto his back. After a few moments, they looked at each other, but didn't say anything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tieria and Lockon went from looking at each other to looking at the ceiling. Tieria didn't think he could form the words to discuss this just now. He was too satiated to gather the energy, and he honestly didn't know all of the reasons for his actions right now. Whatever resulted from this, he didn't think it would permanently destroy the friendship they acquired. Lockon is, after all, a man that takes things in stride. It is with these thoughts that he drifted off to sleep.</p>
<p>Tieria did not wake until 0600 the next morning. There was a blanket over top of him, and there was an indentation on the far side of the bed where he knew Lockon had been. He found his glasses on the bedside able, though he didn't remember putting them there. He thought he might have cast them to the floor at some point yesterday. </p>
<p>As he sat up and put them on, he realized that his brain was in much better order than it was yesterday. He could remember all of the days of his life as clearly as before he had left it. He could remember his life in Veda too, but he could not even begin to recall the volumes of information that he used to know. This did not bother him as much as he had feared it would though. He can link to Veda whenever he wishes, he told himself.</p>
<p>Turning his thoughts from his mind to his surroundings, he could tell that this was his old room. He did not realize that before. He got up, tied on his robe, and walked around the room. His books were on the shelves, but not in the same order he put them in. The closet was full of his own clothing. A new computer terminal sat on the desk, but he guessed that all of his saved data would have been transferred there. One cardboard box sat in a corner of the room. It was his personal effects. Items he didn't miss until he looked at them. He would wait until later to go through them. There was also a soft toiletry bag full of standard issue items. He picked up the bag and headed to the men's common washroom.</p>
<p>After a nice long pee, which he found quite satisfying, he took a nice warm shower, which he liked even better. He was glad to be alone at the moment, so that discretion would not be necessary concerning the dried evidence of yesterday's events that was on his stomach. After only a moment's thought, he knew that he did not regret was happened. The situation was only as complicated as they made it.</p>
<p>Back in his room, Tiera finished putting on his uniform when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in" he called. When he saw that it was Lockon he said "Amazing." After crossing his arms he continued "You are capable of knocking on a door and then waiting to be invited inside of some else's quarters before entering after all."</p>
<p>Tieria wanted to feel this out by establishing normalcy even while making reference to their sensitive situation. Lockon took the social cue "Yes, impressive isn't it. And I can dress myself in under ten minutes, too. Can you say the same?" After giving a little smirk, he changed to a more frank tone and said "So, are you feeling more like yourself today?"</p>
<p>Also dropping airs he responded "Much." He paused briefly to gather his thoughts and looking down he said "I admit that my actions were swayed by over-exaggerated emotions."</p>
<p>In a curious tone Lockon asked "Over-exaggerated… but not unexpected?"</p>
<p>Tieria then looked squarely into Lockons eyes. The question seemed to warrant it. He supposed that he should not have been surprised at the direct question. Lockon has never been one to beat around the bush, and Tieria admires that quality. But such a direct question about his personal feelings is something that he was not used to. He decided that he liked this straightforward approach to their conversation very much. "Are you asking me if I've been attracted to you for a long time?" Lockon nodded. "The long answer… is that you have become a great friend to me over these past few years. I had no body, however, and did not contemplate the nature of that interest. So, though I was surprised at the time, I understood it enough to pursue that interest when I felt it was reciprocated. I could tell by how you responded to me that it was an opportunity." He could tell by Lockon's expression that he hadn't realized that he had given his interest away. He wanted to demand an equally honest answer from Lockon. "And what about you? Was your response unexpected to you?"</p>
<p>Lockon's cheeks held a subtle blush and he showed a little less confidence in the way he spoke. But he did keep a steady gaze. Tieria was endeared by this reaction. "Not…entirely. I'm generally interested in women, as I'm sure you know. But the occasional man does catch my eye." He paused for a moment, giving Tieria an unconsciously hungry look. "The way that you looked at me, well, I couldn't resist. I figured even if you got mad at me the next day, you would get over it." Returning to a more casual mood he said "You may have been out of sorts, but you were still you. And, lucky me, you don't seem angry at all."</p>
<p>"Yes, lucky you", he couldn't help but respond teasingly.</p>
<p>"But don't think that it was purely physical reaction. I think I'm too old now to be swayed by that alone.<br/>His face softened some. You've become a close friend to me too, even through the obvious barrier. But we couldn't go to a pub on a Friday night, or go hiking during shore leave or anything like that. We can change that now, though."</p>
<p>"I've never made much time for such things." Tieria meant this as an observation. He wanted to pay more attention to the people around him than he did before.</p>
<p>"Well, maybe you should. It's peacetime. Take advantage of having some extra time on your hands. No one expects you to work so hard but you."</p>
<p>Tieria agreed with the intent of Lockon's advice, but he also felt defensive of his past actions. His anger showed through when he said "They may not have expected it, but my diligence has certainly been necessary.”</p>
<p>Lockon chose to ignore the anger and focus on Tieria's words. "I won't argue that. But you have to realize that, at least now, you don't have to ignore the part of yourself that enjoys life. On Saturday evenings the crew gathers together to have a few drinks. You should join us. "</p>
<p>"You're right. When I was in Veda, it was the interactions with the crew and others that helped me to remember who I was and what was important. And I remember wishing that I could talk to everyone in person. I won't waste this chance."</p>
<p>"Well your very first opportunity is right around the corner. Everyone is gathering for breakfast." Pointing his thumb over his shoulder and towards the door he says "Are you ready to go?"</p>
<p>"Yes, I look forward to seeing them." And he truly meant it.</p>
<p>"Just one thing first" he said, and Tieria looked back at him expectantly.</p>
<p>Lockon approached Tieria with an open expression. Once he was close enough to do so, he let his fingers slide through Tieria's hair along the scalp. Tieria drew in breath as he felt pleasant tingles all over his body at the gesture. What Lockon meant to do was clear, and Tieia was filled with both fear and anticipation as Lockon's hand stopped at the back of his head. Lockon's head came closer to his and Tieria moved his own head up and forward in response. Their lips met in a gentle kiss that was soft and hesitant, and also deliciously good. Tieria put one hand around the back of Lockon's neck and the other firmly on his shoulder, while the rest of him melted into it.</p>
<p>Tieria then deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into Lockon's mouth and exerting firmer pressure against his lips. The kisses were slow and thorough and Tieria couldn't get enough.</p>
<p>After some time, Lockon ended the kiss. Breathing hard, he straightened up but didn't step back when he said "Shit. I could become addicted to this." Tieria gave a nod to indicate his agreement, and Lockon smiled in response. It seemed to Tieria like an intimate smile, more honest than Lockon had ever allowed Tieria to see before. He broke into a smile of his own.</p>
<p>After they both felt assured that they didn't look disheveled, Tieria and Lockon went to the mess hall where most of the Ptolemy crew was waiting to greet their long-missed comrade. Tieria swept his eyes across the mess and his heart clenched as he saw the familiar faces. As he approached the long table where everyone was seated, they all seemed to be welcoming him at once. Feldt gave him a hug that he had no problem returning. Sumeragi grabbed his arm firmly and offered a smile. Lasse and Ian each offered a pat on the back.</p>
<p>Last was Setsuna, who offered a full armed handshake. In a way, it was a strange feeling to be welcomed when it hasn't been very long since he had last spoken to each of them. The only difference was that he was physically there with them. He recognized the need for such a greeting, as there was something missing until now that he felt as well as them; but it was no less strange. Once the general commotion was over, Ian ushered Tieria into a seat at the middle of the table.</p>
<p>After Tieria answered questions about how he'd been adjusting so far he was no longer the center of attention, and he was grateful for that. There was a free-flowing mixture of work-related and private conversation, and he found himself contributing a great deal, exhilarated by the opportunity to do so.</p>
<p>There was a large assortment of breakfast foods set up in the middle of the table, and the smell of it made him realize how hungry he was. As he was speaking to Feldt and Lockon about the increasing number of human Innovators he scooped up an assortment of fruits onto his plate. He ate a piece of apple first, remembering that it was his favorite, and he had to hold back a moan of pleasure as he chewed. Either he still had trouble controlling his features, or Lockon has become attuned enough to tell that he was delighted, because he threw an amused look at Tieria. Perhaps looking at the other contributor to their conversation would give him a clue. She was hiding a smile. Damn. Nothing to do for it but take it gracefully. He gave his own small smile in acknowledgement and then said "Yes, but the rate of increase should be exponential", and then took a bite of a piece of orange.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>When Tieria got back to his quarters, he decided that it was time to open his link to Veda. Now that he felt better adjusted as a corporeal being. He opened the link, and felt his knowledge and understanding instantly expand. He did not feel empty while linked this way, as he did during the diagnostic tests he performed with the doctor when he first arrived back in his body. Instead, he felt content. As soon as he signaled his presence, Regene also made himself known.</p>
<p>“Tieria. How does it feel?”</p>
<p>“Yesterday, when I first arrived, I felt empty and alone, and my memories were fuzzy. Then came curiosity. After that, I had great difficulty in controlling my emotions. I slept for 12 hours, and when I awoke, I had much better command of myself. I remembered my physical life well, and also the more significant information that I had gathered in Veda.”</p>
<p>“But how does it feel?”</p>
<p>“Oh... Wonderful… There are many physical pleasures that I was glad to experience. Eating, drinking, showers, physical intimacy…”</p>
<p>“Explain the last one. You've had such an opportunity already?”</p>
<p>“Yes… That came from the difficulty I had in controlling my emotions... I can almost feel your amusement.”</p>
<p>“I won't deny that I'm amused… How do you feel now that you're linked? More complete I would think.”</p>
<p>“Yes, that's a good way of putting it. I am whole. I am here, and yet I can see everything that Level 7 access has to offer.”</p>
<p>“But not nearly as quickly as I can.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but that is an acceptable trade-off. At least for now. You're not changing your mind about coming along are you?”</p>
<p>“No, I would like to join you in a few more days' time. And you have no right to give me trouble about my doubts. You were equally reluctant before you went.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I was. The adjustment was quicker than I thought it would be so don't be concerned... I will be linking at will from now on, just so you're aware.”</p>
<p>“Ok. Now go off and do all the things that you’ve been wanting to do.”</p>
<p>“Goodbye.”</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>The next day, Tieria sat in the cockpit of his Gundam, Seravee, and he could feel his old instincts coming back to him. He performed all of the necessary operational checks and then opened his link. His mind sought out the other members of Celestial Being that were Innovators. He found Setsuna first, who would also be participating in this combined patrol and training session. Next he found Feldt, who indicated that all was clear from her end. Last was Lasse, who confirmed that they were stationary at their particular coordinates in the Sahara Dessert. Tieria had observed these coordinated missions before, but this was the first time he could participate.</p>
<p>Setsuna was the first to launch, followed by Tieria. Lockon left the day before for a reconnaissance mission on the progress of the incorporation on non-member nations into the Federation. Peaceful means have been used thus far, and Veda found no indications of force. But Veda cannot sense what is said in closed rooms with no computer capability. At best, it can extrapolate such information from disgruntled citizens. So, physical investigation is still a much needed function.</p>
<p>Tieria focused on the inner perimeter as his counterpart scouted the outer perimeter of the Ptolemy. He found that piloting was as natural to him as it has always been. And with his connection to Veda stronger than it has ever been while piloting, his effectiveness has increased considerably. The patrol concluded without incident, and Tieria was eager to begin testing himself through training.</p>
<p>Tieria and Setsuna relayed direction to each other at the high speeds that being linked allowed through all of the standard drills. Communication and quickness of thought were exceptional. He felt rather invincible, but in time his thoughts still strayed to improvement. He had thought so before today and now he confirmed that it was true; that in order to improve even further, it was the reaction time and strength of his body that needed to increase. These physical talents were naturally greater for him compared to normal people, but he needed to hone them. Tieria wondered if these thoughts of betterment meant that he wished to stay where he was.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>It was day five on the Ptolemy and after getting back from the gym on board, Tieria opened his link to Veda to check on the most recent information. Regene was again easy to signal.</p>
<p>“Something has caught my attention and I would like to pay closer attention to it. The severity of the distrust of Innovators is increasing in some regions. As a result, more Innovators are feeling alienated, and many of them are choosing to populate the growing colonies along the orbital ring. Others have the desire to hold their ground.”</p>
<p>“Then the measures we have taken so far were insufficient to quell the fears of the people. Show me the data. And Sumeragi too.”</p>
<p>“I will show you the most severe case and the distribution according to the world map first. It will take you some time to go through it; I'll wait until then to tell you what I think we should do… I suppose it would be best if I postpone my trip.”</p>
<p>“Do you need me to return?”</p>
<p>“No need to go to that much trouble. It's easy to monitor these things on my own. Now if you ask me ‘Would you like me to return?’ That's a different question, and it has a selfish answer.”</p>
<p>“I can be selfish too, and tell you that Veda will find out everything we need to know without either of us poking around.”</p>
<p>“I can tell Veda better what is important for us to know from here. I'll be just a little longer.”</p>
<p>“Alright. We'll go read those files now and get back to you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tieria leaned against the railing and looked out the window at the vast desert before him. He was mulling over the information he had just read and combined it with what he already knew.</p>
<p>Some cultures thought of Innovators as the most intelligent in their society. Other theories, from other cultures, were that they were the most attuned to the world around them, or were gifted by the gods as a reward for following the path. Then there were the cultures that saw what they could do as dark magic or a mark of heresy. As in most matters in life, public opinion holds only partial truth. To understand the depths of the transition from human to Innovator, one must transition. And to know how to achieve this transition in the first place, one must stumble upon the answer. Tieria himself did not know because he has always been an Innovade.</p>
<p>Setsuna showed the world that it was possible, but he was not able to teach anyone. Celestial Being made it part of their mission encourage the people of the world to become Innovators, and for a time there was great frustration. Very slowly, however, Innovators began to emerge, and when Innovators found Veda, Tiera was able to speak to them. Now, five years later, they represented one half percent of the world's population. The distribution of Innovators throughout the world was now proportional to the distribution of human settlement. There was, therefore, no advantage based on geography or cultural climate.</p>
<p>The lands that showed the greatest distrust for Innovators were the lands of greatest influence over the Earth Federation. The individuals in these regions did not want their superiority to be challenged by Innovators, and at the same time they each likely wanted to know how to become one themselves. Celestial Being's attempt to make the world understand that this change in humanity was to be encouraged received mixed results. It is expected that public opinion will turn when a greater percentage of Innovators have emerged, but they cannot wait that long.</p>
<p>Now they should investigate for themselves, and with more information they can determine whether to interfere or let the trend take its course. After all, it may correct itself on its own over time.</p>
<p>Tieria's thoughts were interrupted by the announcement to prepare for the docking of the Cherudim Gundam. He felt unexpected warmth run over him and he took a moment to appreciate it. Should he follow his instinct to go to the hangar to meet him? No, no. It was lunch time. A visit to his quarters with a tray of food would be better. No need to seem like a puppy waiting at the front door.</p>
<p>Once invited inside Lockon's quarters, Tieria waved one of the two trays that he held and said "I thought you might like some lunch."</p>
<p>"Thanks, it was a long trip back." Lockon was sitting on the edge of his bed and offered Tieria to do the same. He took a minute to down a good portion of what was on his tray before saying anything else. </p>
<p>"How have things been here?"</p>
<p>Tieria took a few bites of his own food before responding, "There's evidence that suggests increased aggression toward Innovators. I've been looking over the data. There will likely be more missions in the future to monitor the situation."</p>
<p>"During my mission I could see that the public opinions of Innovators varied widely, but I didn't see open hostility. Are the world power regions still the most intolerant?"</p>
<p>"Yes. The Innovators in those regions are no longer able to stay neutral. "</p>
<p>"So it's becoming more and more probable that we'll have to intervene."</p>
<p>Tieria gave a nod, and then they lapsed into companionable silence as they finished eating. It was when he finished that Tieria noticed Lockon looking at him. He couldn't discern the reason but he doubted he would mind whatever the reason was. He didn't have to wait long to find out.</p>
<p>"You've told me before that you have a long life-span, but exactly how old are you?"</p>
<p>It was simple curiosity then. "My body is as old as it was when the other died. Accounting for that, fifty years. Not that I was awake all that time."</p>
<p>"What if you counted your time in Veda? Time moved differently for you there."</p>
<p>"Many lifetimes." The quantified number of years sounds like a ridiculous figure that he didn’t want to say.</p>
<p>"Human or Innovator lifetimes?"</p>
<p>Tieria had to give a small smile at the interest in accuracy. "Both."</p>
<p>"And you never got the chance to be a child."</p>
<p>"Yes. But in a way, many humans today can say the same. Or, at the very least, had shortened childhoods."</p>
<p>"Including me. And most members of Celestial Being. Does it take personal loss to care enough to change to world?"</p>
<p>"No, but it makes it easier, I imagine."</p>
<p>"Why did you join Celestial Being?"</p>
<p>More probing questions. Did Lockon think Tieria lacked that personal interest? He answered with a true desire for Lockon to know more about him. "My connection with Veda led me to them. At the time, I thought that I must have lost my memories, since I remembered little but knew much. But I also understood that I was different from normal people. I seemed to be made for helping them. Now I know that I simply didn't exist before that time. Ribbons created all of us. He pushed me in the right direction. I felt like I was doing the right thing, even though I didn't have a personal connection to the people on Earth. That didn't come until later."</p>
<p>"When was that?"</p>
<p>"When the armed interventions started nine years ago, I saw the personal reasons that the team fought for, especially the meisters. I in turned cared for their well-being over time. I had always seen affection as weakness, and in the end I learned to value it."</p>
<p>"Once you cared more for some people, did that make you see all humans differently? What I mean is,"<br/>Lockon struggled to find the right words "did it become harder to allow casualties when you thought about how everyone out there would be missed by someone?"</p>
<p>"Yes. But there were only a couple of moments when I questioned my resolve to our methods. Those were moments when I found it difficult for logic to win out. Sacrificing a few saved the lives of many, and the peace of mind of all. I remember one of those times was when Loc… was when your brother died." Tieria wondered if Lyle knew how he really felt about his brother. Before he could get sucked into the dark thoughts of hard times, Lockon interrupted.</p>
<p>"I didn't mean for things to get so heavy, talking about guilt and about my brother."</p>
<p>"If we can't talk about it amongst ourselves who understand it best, who can we talk to?"</p>
<p>Lockon smiled beautifully. "You're absolutely right." He faced Tieiria more fully before saying, "So as your comrade, I'll let you in on a good way to relieve the unique stresses of the job." Lockon put his tray on the ground and positioned himself behind Tieria. A moment later, he began to massage Tieria's shoulders using slow, deep rubs with his thumbs, on exactly the untrained muscles that were strained from controlling his Gundam. He bit back a groan, but a long puff of air left his mouth instead. He let his posture gradually become looser and his eyes were closed to focus on the feel of the massage. Lockon then sat up on his knees in order to exert more pressure, and Tieria could feel the warmth of the body behind him.</p>
<p>Before long he felt his shirt being lifted up, and he raised his arms in compliance. When hands returned to his shoulders he enjoyed the increased contact. The feel of skin on skin. </p>
<p>After some time, when he loosened up, Tieria halted Lockon's hands by placing his own hands over top of them. He turned around, ready to explain that he would like to return the favor. But the look of desire on Lockon’s face halted the thought, and he felt his half-hard cock come to full attention. He was pleased to see a similar strain in Lockon's pants. When he looked to his face again, his lips felt pulled by an invisible force to Lockon's. He pressed his lips to his insistently and his tongue followed right after. The kiss was slick, powerful, and a little messy. He could feel Lockon remove his skewed glasses at some point. Over time it evolved into something more calm and enduring. When the kiss ended, Tieria said "I'm sure you have some stress to relieve as well." He did actually mean a massage, but it sounded like innuendo for something more which worked just as well. </p>
<p>Lockon smiled as Tieria pulled off his shirt. He took a moment to admire him shirtless, again distracted from his goal of providing a massage. Tieria dipped his head, and slowly licked from his chest up to the juncture of his neck and shoulder. The saltiness and the natural scent of him drove him wild. Tieria pushed him softly down until he lay flat, while sucking at his skin at the same time. He listened to Lockon's pleased grunts and learned that the spot right under his ear was the most sensitive so far. He went back to Lockon's mouth and let his weight settle on top of him. Their hardened cocks rubbed together and Tieria was nearly paralyzed with the feel of it. They began to rub together insistently and Tieia felt his entire body flush. He pulled his head back to look at Lockon and he looked like he wanted to devour him more than even before.</p>
<p>Tieria didn't want this to end too quickly, so he scooted down so his tongue could pay attention to his chest and stomach. Lockon gave a yell at the loss, but then quickly contented himself with what he did next. Tieria licked, bit and sucked in exploration. It was after only a few minutes of this that Mileina made an announcement they could not ignore. During the announcement, Tieria raised his head slowly to eventually achieve eye-contact with Lockon.</p>
<p>"Attention. The tactical crew is to assemble in one hour for the mission de-brief presented by Lockon Stratos. That is all."</p>
<p>Lockon closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Tieria simply set his mouth in a straight line, slowly letting the information into his lust-clouded mind. When Lockon opened his eyes again he said "That doesn't leave much time. I still need to shower, too. Would you…like to join me?" Tieria considered the invitation but it must have taken him too long to answer because Lockon added "Sorry. That was a little forward of me."</p>
<p>The apology implied the respect that he had for him. And also, that he didn't take this for granted. It was those facts, mixed with his sheer horniness combined that made him say "Yes. Let go."</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Tieria now stood in the middle of the men's washroom, the door locked with the punch of a code. Lockon had gone ahead of him and now had nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist. </p>
<p>Tieria took a moment to admire the view before he began to remove his own clothes. He did so unhurriedly, in order to maximize the anticipation. Glasses, shirts, shoes and socks. Then came the pants, and he was very aware of the eyes on him. When he was down to his boxer-briefs, Lockon came over to him. He wanted to do this part himself, it seemed, and that was more than fine. Tieria's cock got harder in anticipation.</p>
<p>Lockon stood closely in front of him, dipped his thumbs under the edge of the material, and pulled down slowly. When his arms were fully expended, he bent down to follow the material down his legs, finishing on his knees. Tieria stepped out of them, and pushed them back with his foot. Lockon seemed frozen in place for a moment, before he grasped Tieria's cock in his hand. Tieria gasped softly. After giving a few strokes, Lockon moved his head forward and experimentally lick different areas of Tieria's cock. </p>
<p>Tieria’s head was swimming and he was breathing hard when he asked, “Have you done this before?”</p>
<p>“Not with a man, no. Is that a problem?” Lyle asked, then went straight back to what he was doing. </p>
<p>“What?! No…Just…” He wanted to tell him he didn’t have to go so fast if he didn’t want to.</p>
<p>“Have you?”</p>
<p>“Not with anyone.”</p>
<p>“Then we’re on even ground anyway. Who cares?”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>When Tieria felt the wet heat engulf him, he felt less and less able to stand until he staggered back and slammed hard against the lockers.</p>
<p>Lockon gave a victorious grin at being able to cause such a reaction, and then in a rough voice he said "shower" and indicated the direction of a shower stall with his head. Tieria nodded and followed. As they waited for the temperature to warm up, Teria grabbed the knot that kept Lockon's towel in place with both hands. He felt the two ends and unfolded them, allowing the towel to fall to the ground. The enticement he felt was much richer than what he felt during their first encounter. He unashamedly pulled Lockon into the shower spray and kissed him fiercely, encircling his arms around his neck and molding their bodies together.</p>
<p>For a while they were a moving tangle of limbs, until Lockon slammed him into the tiled wall and picked up where he left off before. Tieria felt the heat and suction, and had to lean heavily against the wall. There was a building pleasure that he both wanted to hold onto and to allow to release at the same time. He decided to try to hold on for as long as he could. It was a losing battle, but he didn't mind. When his orgasm came, it was a sharp pleasure, prolonged by the way that Lockon kept sucking. Lockon started to cough, and the orgasm slowly subsided. Tieria felt like sliding to the ground, but somehow managed to keep himself up and leaning against the wall.</p>
<p>When Tieria was able to focus again. He saw Lockon washing his hair, with a huge smirk on his face, and hard-on still firmly in place. At that moment, they heard someone trying the door of the washroom. When the door wouldn't open there was a knock and someone said "Everything alright in there?" It sounded like Lasse.</p>
<p>Lockon responded "Yea. Believe me when I say you don't want to come in." He somehow managed to keep a casual voice.</p>
<p>Lasse interpreted the response how he wanted to and said "Uh. Ok then."</p>
<p>When they were sure he was gone, Tieria and Lockon looked at each other and they both started laughing.</p>
<p>They were being reckless and they both knew it. But they didn't care, at least right now. Good humor restored, Tiera grabbed the shower stool that was just outside of the stall and directed Lockon over to it. Once he sat down, Tieria hunched over and started a demanding kiss. Then, as he knelt, his mouth provided attention in a trail down Lockon's body. Knowing that Lockon has had enough teasing already, he slid his mouth over the length of his cock letting his tongue massage all the way down. He heard Lockon’s groans, and that was all the encouragement he needed. </p>
<p>Tieria did his best to keep Lockon off balance. He varied speed, he changed techniques, and he moved his hands. Only when he felt Lockon was close did he go to a steady rhythm. Lockon's entire body stiffened, and when it did, Tieria felt and tasted the release. He continued his rhythm, demanding more, only stopping when he felt his cock going limp. Now it was Tieria's turn to smirk at Lockon's satiated posture.</p>
<p>A quick look at the wall clock showed that they had ten minutes left before the meeting.</p>
<p>Tieria made it to the meeting two minutes late, making him the last to arrive. He overhead Lasse making a joke about Lockon needing privacy in the washroom, and everyone that overhead it laughed good-naturedly.</p>
<p>Once he sat down Lockon began to report his findings. Lockon's hair was still damp, and he looked entirely too happy. He saw Mileina look critically at Lockon, and then look pointedly at Tieria's barely-damp hair.</p>
<p>Was her nose for gossip really that good? Shit, he would have to talk to her after the meeting to find out. When it was time to discuss what they would do about Innovator acceptance by the public, he opened his link to Veda and kept Regene involved in the conversation. In the end, Sumeragi decided that in two days Tieria and Setsuna would go to Washington D.C. to obtain first-hand recon information.<br/>When the meeting was over, Tieria took his opportunity. "Mileina, may I speak to you for a moment?"</p>
<p>She looked like she was about to be scolded when she said "Sure thing." When the room was empty, there was a brief silence in which she seemed to find confidence, and then she kindly said "We're all like family here, Tieria. It won't take long for everyone to notice. I suggest that you just get it over-with and tell them."</p>
<p>He was surprised by her frank demeanor. And thankful for it too. There was no point being shy about it with her. "We're not even sure yet what there is to tell. We need some more time. Does that mean that you'll keep it to yourself?"</p>
<p>"Can I tell Feldt? It really hard for me to keep these things secret!"</p>
<p>"I would rather you didn't. Give it a couple of weeks, alright?"</p>
<p>"Alright" she said dejectedly. "But I can't promise not to try to get you to admit it to everyone."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was drinking night at the mess hall. And, as Tieria promised Lockon, he was there too. Besides the two of them were four others. Mileina was there, probably because Ian wasn't. She has explained before that it's weird to drink around ones parents. As an additional incentive, she was likely to make good on her playful threat. Sumeragi was there too, but much to the relief of others, she drinks considerable less than she used to. Happiness can heal psychological wounds, he supposed. Lasse and Feldt rounded out the night's group.</p>
<p>All were dressed comfortably in their civilian clothes. For some time, Tieria just let himself slip into the easy atmosphere of beer drinking and card playing. Remembering another of his acquaintances that he hasn't talked to in some time, he asked "How's Billy?"</p>
<p>Sumeragi answered with a happy smile "He'll be visiting the Ptolemy after you get back from your mission," then continued teasingly, "to see you as much as to see me, I'm sure. He's starting to miss his discussions with you."</p>
<p>"It will be nice to meet him in person after all this time."</p>
<p>"You and Billy certainly share many interests. If I didn't know better, I'd be jealous." A mixture of smirks, giggles, and surprised laughs filled the table.</p>
<p>A friendly joke about his preference for men. He suspected that the members of the crew took it as a given, but no one has made direct reference to it before. Even Lockon, when they talked about what was going on between them, didn't need to make it a subject of conversation. Lockon explained why he was attracted to a man, but Tieria simply explained why he was attracted to him. It would be accurate to say that of all of the people Tieria has found to be attractive, ninety percent of them were men. Sumeragi's comment was an invitation to join in on the level of playfulness expected during a night of drinking with them, and the level of familiarity now present with much of the crew.</p>
<p>He didn't disappoint when he responded in a serious tone, while adjusting his cards, "He's mentioned your suspicions to me and you're not wrong. We may just run off together one day." After a prolonged silence, everyone at the table started laughing, and they couldn't stop for quite some time.</p>
<p>Not only did Tieria carry on the joke, he showed them that they don't have to avoid certain subjects with him. When this team was forming, nine years ago, it was in the best interest of their missions to know as little about each other as possible. And as they grew closer, it gave them a different kind of strength. It was no longer possible to achieve emotional distance, so Veda began to recommend the pursuit of their friendship. Tieria has learned a lot about his comrades, but there are some things he could not learn until he was physically by their side, as he is now.</p>
<p>"So you do like men then?" Mileina was certainly taking her chance.</p>
<p>Tieria said "Yes" but didn't elaborate.</p>
<p>"Do you ever plan to find that special someone?" There was no response but she continued with "Come on, I've told you all about my hopes and dreams."</p>
<p>"But did you announce them to everyone here?" He responded in an admonishing tone.</p>
<p>"As a matter of fact, I have. I've told you before; there aren't any big secrets around here."</p>
<p>He was getting bored of skirting a question that wasn't entirely difficult to answer. Though he wouldn’t focus on the part of it that she was without a doubt driving at. "I suppose I'd never sought out companionship. I was much more closed off than I am currently, and I convinced myself I didn't have time to waste on such things."</p>
<p>Feldt then said "I was the same way. Very focused on our missions. But when Christina died…it made me appreciate the people around me more."</p>
<p>Lasse looked at Feldt. Are they all bound to find comfort in each other? </p>
<p>Feldt went on, asking Tieria, "I think the same thing happened to you. But it was someone else that you missed the most."</p>
<p>Of course, he knew exactly who she meant. "Not quite the same. He…demonstrated the qualities that I lacked and instead of the slow realization I would have had, his death forced it all up at once. And from there, I decided on the kind of person I wanted to be." He intentionally left out the emotional aspects of his comparison.</p>
<p>Tieria looked at the table, and the rest avoided looking at Lockon. "Are you talking about my brother?"</p>
<p>Lockon looked at Tieria first, and then the rest of the group. He must have seen something in their faces. "But there's something else to it, isn't there?"</p>
<p>This conversation was going into unknown territory. Tieria knew it best to end this train of thought. "I can assure you there wasn't."</p>
<p>"But you wanted there to be?" Lockon asked the question as if he suspected the answer and didn't like it.</p>
<p>Tieria could tell that the truth of it was running around in Lockon's mind. He didn't want to explain this in such detail in front of an audience, so he tried to keep a neutral expression. He thought that maybe his face showed more distress than he wanted to show.</p>
<p>"What the fuck?!" Lockon came to some conclusion and it made him jump out of his chair, knocking it down with a clatter. Anger was written all over his face.</p>
<p>Instinctually, Tieria jumped up too. Angry that he would dare to be angry about it. Unable to say the things he wanted to say. "May I speak with you somewhere else?"</p>
<p>Lockon downs the rest of his whiskey and walks out the door.</p>
<p>Tieria could hear the low exclamations of surprise from the others as he followed.</p>
<p>The door barely shut as he entered the hallway when Lockon rounded on him, "Do you see him when you look at me?"</p>
<p>"Don't be an ass. Of course not. There is no possible way to confuse the two of you." It was really meant to be a reassurance, but in his angry tone he wondered if it would be interpreted as calling him someone that is much harder to deal with.</p>
<p>"So you've just been making due then?"</p>
<p>Tieria saw red. He lunged forward and punched him in the side of the jaw; just hard enough to leave a good mark. Lockon staggered to the side but didn't fall down.</p>
<p>"You presume to tell me who I can care for?" Tieria gave him a menacing glare. "And are you really suggesting that you're meant to be some sort of substitute? How can you jump to conclusions so quickly after all that we've endured together for the past six years? It's an insult to say that I don't see you for who you are. You may have the same face, but I more than most people can understand that there is little correlation to be made. I also have an identical brother. And all of the Innovators that Ribbons created had some common physical traits." Tieria stopped at that. He knew that mentioning Anew directly would be a step too far (that it could escalate to him getting punched himself), but the allusion he made about the fact that he shared some resemblance to her clearly seeped through his enraged thoughts.</p>
<p>They looked at each other for a long time, Tieria slightly out of breath from his speech, and Lockon with a hand crossed in front of his jaw in a defensive stance. Eventually, Lockon said, "Shit,” and deflated somewhat. Then he straightened up, looked at the floor and said, “I don’t…see Anew when I look at you.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think you did,” Tieria assured. “I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from.” Then, “I’m sorry I brought her up, it must be painful.”</p>
<p>“I loved her,” he said, subdued. “No one’s even come close since.” Then, “I…had no idea Neil had such an effect on you. Of course you're right. I had no right to get angry… I suppose it made it feel like I did when I first arrived here. Like I was back in his shadow. You all thought so much of him."</p>
<p>"You haven't been in his shadow in all the time I've known you," Tieria said softly. </p>
<p>"I haven't felt like I was in a long time. But, just now… I couldn't stand to think that you might think of me that way."</p>
<p>Tieria felt the rest of his anger and reservations fade away. "I don't want to list all of the ways that you're different from your brother, but I will say this: Neil Delandy was kind, and a natural leader, but he kept his emotional distance the way that we all did then. He was unobtainable for a number of reasons. As for you, Lyle; you are not everybody's friend, but you are an exceptional friend to those you choose to be close to."</p>
<p>Lyle stepped up to him with emotion, eyebrows knitted, and kissed him then, hand on the side of his face. When he pulled away, he said, "Thank you, Tieria. And I like the way you said my given name," and he smiled. "Let me try make this up to you”.</p>
<p>Tieria’s heart fluttered. "Ok. But first let me get you some ice for your jaw. I’m sorry. There’s really no excuse. That is something that I have to make up to you."</p>
<p>"Bring the ice to my room and we’ll work it out." Then he walked down the hall. The expression on his face showing that he was more than willing to forgive and forget. </p>
<p>Tieria collected his thoughts as he walked over to the kitchen adjacent to the dining tables. What he had with Lockon…Lyle was gaining depth. They now had the power to hurt each other emotionally in a way that they could not have done as friends. Should he back away from this unknown territory? No, the personal benefits far outweighed the risk. He has never had anything like this before. Not once in his long life has he had what most normal people take for granted. He can still accomplish his missions, so there is no reason to deprive himself.</p>
<p>He began to collect ice from the kitchen and put it into a bag. He could feel the eyes of his comrades through the partition in the wall that allowed for food to be served from one room to the other. He did not know what they overheard and he couldn't tell what they were speculating about his confrontation with Lyle.</p>
<p>They must have heard yelling, and possibly the punch to Lyle's face. But what of the subject of their fight? He would open the dialogue simply. Turning around to them he said "He and I understand each other now. I punched him, and I'm getting him ice". No one said anything at first. They just looked at him. Did he still look disheveled from their kiss?</p>
<p>Sumeragi spoke first in an almost apologetic tone, "We heard most of what the two of you said in the beginning. Not the thickest walls in this part of the ship. But we didn't hear anything after what you said right after you punched him".</p>
<p>"I see". Tieria scanned their faces again. He felt like responding 'Is there a problem?', but held his tongue when he didn't see accusation in any of their faces.</p>
<p>Mileina piped up with concern "Did you make up then?"</p>
<p>All Tieria could do was nod. He did not enjoy the thought of their scrutiny. After that, he turned and started towards Lyle's room. Right before he left the kitchen he spotted a mostly full bottle a wine in his peripheral vision and picked it up without slowing his pace.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Lyle was lying on his bed when Tieria entered his room, an arm over his forehead. When he saw Tieria, he sat up and moved to the end of the bed. Tieria put the wine bottle on his desk, and then sat next to him, putting the ice up to his jaw.</p>
<p>Lyle sighed at the feel of the ice, gave his thanks and then asked "So, was there an interrogation?"</p>
<p>With a sardonic smile, Tieria responded "One wasn't necessary. They overheard quite a bit on their own."</p>
<p>With a resigned sigh, he said "Oh, well. No use worrying about that until tomorrow." Then after a pause "Is there something to worry about?"</p>
<p>"I doubt it. The worst I would expect is questions from the curious." After a few moments thought he had to ask "Is that worrying to you?"</p>
<p>"Not any more than usual when subjected to the gossip mill. Not so worrying that it changes anything between us."</p>
<p>Tieria was relieved. He said "Good," and kissed him softly for a moment before pulling away again. “And what is between us?” he ventured, in a tone that said he knew that it was certainly ‘something’. </p>
<p>Lyle smiled slightly. “Well,” he started, “first we were war buddies, then long-distance friends, exceptional friends,” he amended in reference to what Tiera said earlier in the hall, “then hello!-there-might-be-something-there friends,” and they both laughed, “… then, something more. Something special,” he finished with sincerity. </p>
<p>Tieria felt warmth in his chest from his words. “Lyle,” another small smile at the use of his name, “I think so, too. We both messed up today, and we’re bound to do it again, but that’s ok.” He took the ice off his face. That felt like about as much emotional honesty he could take at the moment. “Wine?” he asked. </p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>Tiera got the wine bottle from the desk and sat back down on the bed. He took a few good swallows from the bottle, making Lyle laugh, and handed it him. When Lyle finished doing the same and put the bottle down on the ground, he leaned in and put the bag of ice back on his face.</p>
<p>Lyle moved his hand up and closed his hand over his, then leaned forward and kissed him. The kiss had a richness to it that pulled up deep rooted desires and exposed them to the surface. They took their time and those feelings built. He could feel himself grow hard, and then harder still. When their lips parted for a moment he looked down the length of Lyle's body and was satisfied to see that he also showed his need.</p>
<p>Still kissing, Lyle pushed Tieria down until he was lying on the mattress. Tieria liked the feel of Lyle's full weight on top of him, which made him grab Lyle's shoulders and kiss back harder. They were soon entwined together; all reaching limbs and undulating bodies. Tieria grabbed Lyle's t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Lyle followed suit, and then nibbled and sucked the skin of his neck and chest as soon as it was exposed. Wherever his mouth was not giving attention, he rubbed the skin firmly with his hands.</p>
<p>Tieria was enjoying the feel of Lyle with his own hands as well. He would do a mixture a light touches with his fingertips and slow massaging circles on his chest and abdomen. Lyle's torso was hard planed, and he could feel the muscles under his hands. This led Tieria to admire Lyle's strong arms as well, which were flexed as he held up his own weight. It made Tieria want to wrestle him down. He would not care who won.</p>
<p>Since Lyle had a weight and height advantage over him, Tieria decided that he would start this game with an element of surprise. He began to surreptitiously position his left leg and right arm so that he could flip him to his back in one motion. Lyle then moved his mouth to Tieria's nipple. He licked and sucked at a deliciously slow pace, and Tieria could think of nothing else but how good it felt. He breathed in pants, and writhed; arching his neck and back, pushing his cock into Lyle's hand. He could feel Lyle smiling briefly before continuing to the other nipple. Lyle's hand cupped him firmly through his pants and rubbed up his length.</p>
<p>When he reached the tip, he popped the button and pulled the zipper of his pants. Tiera let out a sigh of relief as his cock was freed. Lyle then reached into his underwear, took a firm hold, and stroked him. Lyle started kissing him again at the same time, and ran his other hand through Tieria's hair.</p>
<p>Tieria was lost, far beyond mere playfulness. He could revel in these feeling all night, but also hungered for more. He pushed Lyle so that they were both lying on their sides, facing each other. He then hurriedly undid Lyle's jeans and pulled out his deliciously warm, hard cock. Tieria gave a few good pulls, and Lyle groaned in pleasure.</p>
<p>Lyle reached for the bedside drawer, then, and pulled out a tube of lubricant. He put some on his hand and started stoking Tieria again. He playfully did not relent as Tiera struggled with the tube to do the same. When he was done, he attacked his cock with exuberance, as if to teach him a lesson. He clamped his mouth back onto Lyle's and got lost once again. Each pumped the other, and they kept moving faster, feeding off of each other's movements.</p>
<p>Tieria then gained the leverage he was looking for and took off Lyle's pants and boxers. He had to stop and admire the view that gave him. Lyle used this to his advantage and flipped them so that Lyle was over Tieria. Lyle removed Tieria's pants with an equal lack of patience, and then closed the distance between them so their slick cocks would rub together.</p>
<p>Tieria knew by this time where he wanted this to go. He grabbed for the tube that was barely within reach on the bed. Lyle sat up, clearly curious of what Tieria would do next. He put a generous amount of lubrication on his fingers, and slowly moved those fingers to his entrance, carefully watching Lyle's face.</p>
<p>Realization hit him once the fingers reached their goal. Tieria rubbed circles there, and when he was ready, then inserted his middle finger slowly. This is something he’s done for himself many times, and he wasn’t worried. He pushed in and out a few times, and he could feel himself stretching. Lyle's expression was difficult to read. He made his finger move faster, and it felt quite good. He added a second finger, and after a moment he panted lightly from the feel of it. He let himself close his eyes for a moment, and when he looked at Lyle again, he could see the desire there that he hoped to see. He moved his fingers faster again, and focused on how good that felt, anticipating how much better it would feel in a few moments.</p>
<p>He removed his fingers and grabbed Lyle's hand, which he noticed had traveled slightly closer to him, by the wrist. He then gently guided Lyles hand to his entrance, which forced Lyle to bend forward, eyes locked. Tieria poured more lubricant onto Lyle's fingers and let go of his wrist. He knew there was challenge in his own face. Lyle bent forward to kiss him, and pushed in his finger at the same time. His shyness left him quickly, as if a switch had been flipped. He introduced a second finger, and increased the pace, all the while swallowing Tieria's groans of pleasure. In response, Tieria grabbed Lyle's hair and opened his legs wider.</p>
<p>Lyle then used his free hand to stoke Tieria's cock in rhythm with his other hand.</p>
<p>When he couldn’t take it any longer, Tieria broke their kiss, and in a rough voice demanded "Fuck me". Lyle growled in response to his words and said "Gladly". Lyle sat back, applied a great deal of lube to his cock, and then positioned himself over Tieria; his tip just touching Tieria's entrance. The anticipation sent tingles up and down Tieria's entire body. He moved his legs so that they were hugging Lyle's sides, and he gently nudged Lyle towards him.</p>
<p>When Lyle entered him, he gave a sound of pure pleasure, and Tiera pushed the discomfort of the first few moments out of his mind. He pushed in slowly, watching Tieria’s face intently until he was fully seated. Then Lyle waited, then asked “Alright?” Tieria was more than alright, and he nodded enthusiastically. Then, he began a measured pace. It wasn't long before Tieria was pushing back in equal speed. Lyle adjusted their angle many times, testing out what felt best, and before long Tieria yelled out and arched his body. Lyle had hit on his prostate, and would not relent now that he found it. Tieria knew he would orgasm too quickly if this continued, but he couldn't find the strength of will to stop Lyle. Instead, he positioned his legs even higher which made Lyle hit deeper inside of him.</p>
<p>Between pants of breath, Tieria said "Lyle…I'm…going…to…" and he didn't finish his sentence before Lyle grabbed his cock and pumped in time with his thrusts. Tieria fought off the orgasm for as long as he could, and when he couldn't stop it any longer, it was a white-hot rush. He came in long spurts, the whole experience made longer by Lyle's continued movements. When Tieria felt it wane, he also felt Lyle cling tightly and bury himself deep.</p>
<p>When he could, Lyle rolled over onto his back. Out of breath, he said "Tieria, you're…just wow".</p>
<p>Tieria wasn't used to such compliments, and he smiled in lazy pleasure, then said, “You make me feel quite speechless myself”.</p>
<p>Lyle rolled to his side and kissed him languidly. When they were done, Tiera felt tiredness start to set in, and he yawned. He was contemplating whether he wanted to go back to his quarters when Lyle said "Sleep here".</p>
<p>Tieria nodded his agreement, and got comfortable by laying on his side, facing Lyle, his hand under the pillow. He was dozing off quickly. He felt an arm over his waist before he was out, and it felt quite nice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tieria sat on the park bench, waiting to meet his most trusted friend in the city. They have spoken many times over the last few years, and when Tieria mentioned his ‘vacation plans’, Joshua insisted that they meet. The springtime breeze blew at his hair and across his skin. He never did get used to that feeling. It made him feel temporarily cold in his white t-shirt. He only had to wait a few minutes until he saw the man he knew had to be Joshua. The man grinned as he walked over, extending his hand as he walked the last few steps. Tieria stood up and grabbed the hand to shake it. He was tall and had a medium frame, with dark blond hair and eyes to match.</p>
<p>"I'm so glad to finally meet you in person. How was your trip?" He spoke with a warm voice, and his tone was more assured than most 25 year olds. Tieria could see that it was more than his visionary ideas in the business world that made him so successful at such a young age; he also had the perfect bearing when speaking with people.</p>
<p>"No complaints about the flight, but I'm sure the traveling would have felt like it had gone faster if my brother had come with me.”</p>
<p>"Yes, it's a shame that he wasn't feeling well. I was looking forward to meeting him too." Tieria could tell that he was being truthful. "So, what have you seen so far? I'll be happy to show you the spots the tourists don't know about."</p>
<p>They started to walk side-by-side through the park. "I've seen all of the monuments and the like. And I did a fair amount of people-watching yesterday. Why don't we go wherever you wound normally go on a Saturday evening?"</p>
<p>Joshua took a moment to think. "There're a few choices then. You sure you don't want the best restaurant in town, or the wildest bar?" Tieria got the impression that Joshua would like the opportunity to try something he normally didn't, but that didn't suite Tieria's purpose here. Perhaps he would have more opportunities in the future to spend time with him without ulterior motives.</p>
<p>"I prefer to have a more practical experience" he said kindly.</p>
<p>"Alright then. There is this one lounge, with a very talented singer, that's there every Saturday. Have you ever been to a bar where everyone has the same… affliction that we do?" Tieria idly wondered if the euphemisms were too obvious and that someone who disliked Innovators would pick up on the language. Especially since he paused right before using the word ‘affliction’. "You've met a lot of them virtually I'm sure, but have you had the opportunity to see them face-to-face?" Going to a bar full of Innovators would suit his mission perfectly, and of course Tieria was trying to guide them to that conclusion.</p>
<p>"Actually, no." Tieria managed to look apprehensive but intrigued at the prospect.</p>
<p>"Would you like to?" He said it in a way that made Tieria think he would try to convince him otherwise if he said no.</p>
<p>After a convincing pause, he said, "Yes".</p>
<p>"Excellent."</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>A suitably dressed Tieria met Joshua one hour later in front of the Progressive Lounge. The name of such a place was not all that subtle. Were they daring others to find them? Did they not feel endangered? When Tieria asked him after they were seated at a table, Joshua admitted that he didn't know the answer. Perhaps the idea of a ‘threat’ was still too vague to be tangible to the people in the area.</p>
<p>Tieria scanned the room, acting as though he was a little awed by where he was. He would rather the crowd underestimate his presence at a glance. The walls were covered in pictures of the latest technological advancements including communications, colony development, and military. There were many small groupings of individuals at the bars and tables. Some were talking, leaning close to one-another. Other groups had members with far-off expressions, who gave off occasional facial expressions and verbal exclamations.</p>
<p>This may be the place that offered just what he's looking for, a view into the political climate. When they each ordered a drink, he asked Joshua if he knew anyone here. Joshua provided a few names and a general idea of their demeanors. With his initial reconnaissance done, he decided to begin his mission in earnest. "So this is where you exchange ideas freely with other Innovators. It must be wonderful to have the ability to do so in person. "</p>
<p>"You'll get that chance, especially once they realize who you are." Tieria was many things. Could Joshua have guessed at more than he wanted him to know? Tieria gave him a quizzical look so that he would explain further. "You're Tieria, one of the two Brothers who understand Veda better than anyone else. Surely you know how well-respected you are amongst the Is." So he understands a small fraction of the truth, as he should.</p>
<p>"Yes, I suppose I do."</p>
<p>"You really don't usually talk to Innovators in person?"</p>
<p>"I'm very secretive where I live."</p>
<p>"Why? You agree that we should be free to live in the open." They have had this argument before, so Joshua should not be surprised at the answer. Tieria supposed Joshua must just have been hoping it changed.</p>
<p>"Yes, I do. But there are people that would hurt or use someone with an aptitude like mine. It's not safe yet. Time will be our greatest ally toward acceptance."</p>
<p>"You say that waiting will deliver us from those ignorant fools?" said an authoritative female voice. The two men turned to one side and saw a woman with long, thick black hair who must have been of South American descent. Her penetrating black eyes were looking right into Tieria's. "And in the meantime, we should continue to suffer? I don't think so." She then turned her gaze, "Joshua, who is your idealistic friend?"</p>
<p>Joshua looked amused at the situation as he said, "Tieria Erde". Tieria could see doubt written all over her face, but the longer she looked at Tieria, the more she seemed to realize that it was the truth. She took a moment to compose herself and then said, "I'm sorry. We've started off on the wrong foot. My name is Vivian and I've had a rough few days. May I sit down?"</p>
<p>Tieria doubted that, even if she did have a trying few days, that it was the reason for her outspokenness. But this gave him all the more motivation to wish to talk to her so he inclined his head toward an empty chair.</p>
<p>"So what got you so wound up today, Viv?" asked Joshua once she was seated.</p>
<p>"The same old thing, my friend. My boss is wondering how I have the gall to be smarter than him and point out his mistakes. And I have to perform this delicate balancing act so that I'm not ostracized by the people that recognize what’s going on. I hate the fact that I can't use my full potential on a daily basis. The world would be better off if us I's could just do our thing."</p>
<p>Tieria could sense which way her moral compass was leaning, and decided to dissuade her as best he could from her resentment. "We all have that frustration. And of course we would love to see a change in the near future, but that is just unrealistic. "</p>
<p>"Is that the conclusion that Veda has come to? That there's nothing we can do?" She seemed as though she would be sad if such a thing was true.</p>
<p>"I didn't say there is nothing we can do. We can show everyone else that there is nothing to fear from us. That we can bring positive change. "</p>
<p>"Some Is are getting attacked, and even killed. We can't just turn the other cheek. At the very least, we should let the world know that they can't push us around."</p>
<p>Joshua stayed silent, but Tieria could tell that he did not agree with her sentiments.</p>
<p>"You should be careful with thoughts like that. Don't become a vigilante. I can see it becoming an escalation of tactics if this path is started. Each side upping the stakes for the other. There are extremists on both sides of this, but they all will be nothing but terrorists. And before long, it could be war."</p>
<p>"But we're smarter, and faster, and stronger than them. We just have to make them understand that they can't oppress us."</p>
<p>"You're underestimating them, in more ways than one. And even though there are more Innovators every day, the general public consists of so many more people. One day, the scales may be tipped in the other direction, with many Innovators among us. We just have to wait for acceptance."</p>
<p>"I'm not saying I'm going to up and start a gang tomorrow. I'm just saying, that if enough Is are fed up, things will happen on its own. And I would be glad to join them." She was starting to sound less sure of herself. At least there was that. Some of what she was saying was just bluster to save face because he was disagreeing with her.</p>
<p>"Spoken like someone that has never been in a war" said Tieria sadly.</p>
<p>Vivian said nothing more, just stood up and walked away, presumably to the group of friends she had meant to meet with before talking to them.</p>
<p>After a moment Joshua said defensively "Don't you think you were a little harsh? She didn't mean it."</p>
<p>"I think she means more than she realizes."</p>
<p>Joshua thought on that comment for a moment, and then continued on with conversation. "The couple that just walked in the door, they're moving up to a colony in about a month. The word is that Is are better accepted there. Plus there's the fact that we're more comfortable in zero G environments that normal people.</p>
<p>We're best suited for the research going on."</p>
<p>"Yes, I've heard the same thing. I'd like to talk to them."</p>
<p>Tieria and Joshua spent the rest of the night talking to most of the Innovators in the lounge, only slowing down when the singer was performing. Most of the patrons were more than happy to talk to Tieria, and he was able to recall talking to at least two of them within the last few years. By midnight, Tieria gained more information than he thought he would be able to during the entire mission. He was also genuinely enjoying himself.</p>
<p>They sat down on their own once again, enjoying the quieting atmosphere. Joshua was talking about his bad luck with women, and it's relation to the long hours that he works, when a man describing himself as a friend of Vivian's sat down next to them. He was about as tall as Tieria, with a muscular upper body.<br/>Joshua performed introductions in a friendly manner, but Tieria could tell that he was a little put-out.</p>
<p>The man spoke. "Tieria. Vivian tells me that you two had a disagreement. I came here to give you a better idea of where she's coming from." He gave off a subtle air of intimidation, as if that would make him more inclined to agree with whatever he had to say. It was interesting and telling that Vivian and her friend cared so much about his opinion.</p>
<p>Around the time when Tieria was growing bored with the conversation, he received communications from Setsuna. Knowing that it must be an emergency, he excused himself to the men's bathroom. After securing the area, he played the message left by Setsuna, "I've been injured during my mission and made the decision to retreat. I'm being pursued. Abort mission and meet me at the following coordinates." Tieria could see that Setsuna's face was bloodied and bruised. The recording didn't end right after the message, and he watched Setsuna breathing heavily for a few moments while he himself was working out the quickest route to his destination, and reaching out the Regene at the same time.</p>
<p>Someone came into the bathroom and Tieria turned off the recording. When he turned around he saw that is was Joshua. It looked as if Joshua was about to say something casual but then decided not to. Tieria had no time to waste and said "I have to go."</p>
<p>After a moment Joshua replied, "Did something happen?" and looked at the comm device on Tieria's wrist.</p>
<p>He didn't have time to be polite, so he just kept it simple and hoped it would be enough for his friend. He said "I just have to go," and pushed through the bathroom door. He walked straight for the lounge exit doors when he heard Vivian's friend coming up behind him.</p>
<p>"Yo, wait up. We're not done." He felt the man grab his wrist and he turned around to face him. He also saw Joshua coming up behind the man. He was about to pull his hand out of the grip, which he could have done easily. But before he did, he felt himself automatically project his desire for freedom outward and into the man. He was able to tell the man to let go and back away through this one sided link. The man complied, and looked confused once he did so. He saw Joshua's worried expression in his peripheral vision as he turned back around and fled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as he left the building, Tieria heard Regene say, "Well, that was eerily familiar".</p>
<p>"Later. What's the quickest route?"</p>
<p>"Hail a taxi and use these roads." Tieria could see the map in his mind along with the highlighted route.</p>
<p>"Is Setsuna alright?"</p>
<p>"He can still run, but he wouldn't be able to pilot very well right now. He's lost his pursuers; he should be all clear."</p>
<p>Tieria got the cab easily. He directed the driver while continuing to talk to Regene. "Are we leaving the area after I meet Setsuna?"</p>
<p>"Sumeragi says to check into the hotel near the rendezvous point. Patch up Setsuna and make sure he rests, and then leave before dawn. This anti-Innovator group is small-time. They won't pursue him any further tonight; they have families to go home to after all. It's because they're such a low threat that Setsuna has a few hours to recover. The blood loss will make for a very uncomfortable trip for him."</p>
<p>"Make a right here please" he said to the driver, and then responded to Regene, "Ok, I've got it covered." Tieria let the slight anxiety wash over him, making him focused. Overall, the situation was well within their control. It was minor compared to what they've accomplished in the past. They were playing it very conservative, because they could afford to do so. Also, they're current advantages are far beyond what they worked with in those days.</p>
<p>When he arrived, he paid the driver generously and sat casually on a nearly bench. His destination was on the outskirts. It was about as safe as any suburb nearby a large city. If they wanted to reach their Gundams, they would have to travel further east to the bay, but that would wait until the early morning. He read the local news on his comm device, just like most people would do when idly waiting.</p>
<p>It was a minute later that a black sports car crossed over to the wrong side of the road and parked right in front of him. The driver's side window went down, and Tieria looked up to verify that is was Setsuna. It was definitely him, despite the bruised and bloodied face. Keeping up with his sedate façade, Tieria walked over to the car.</p>
<p>"Get in. You're driving." said Setsuna, and slid over to the passenger's side. His acquiescence of the wheel was testament to how poorly he must have felt. Setsuna cringed as he maneuvered.</p>
<p>Tieria took control of the car, and drove them to the hotel. Setsuna sat hunched slightly forward and was breathing too heavily, but he still managed to clean up his face before they arrived. The hotel was upscale, with good security. When they pulled up, a valet took care of the car. They walked in, and Tieria kindly motioned towards the couch to Setsuna, as he himself continued on to the front counter. He put on a face of friendly concern.</p>
<p>"Excuse me ma'am, do you have a room with two beds available tonight?"</p>
<p>"Yes, we do. How many nights will you be staying?"</p>
<p>"Three nights." This was a lie, of course. In an abundance of caution, in an attempt to not draw attention from their pursuers, if they were gathering information on hotel occupants.</p>
<p>Once the paperwork was complete, Tieria made a request. "I would greatly appreciate your help in obtaining some medical supplies. You see, my friend was mugged and I need to fix him up." The receptionist looked toward the couch in the lobby, and Tieria did the same. Setsuna was speaking with one of the security guards, assuring him that he was alright by the looks of it.</p>
<p>"Oh, no! You should have said so from the beginning", she said in an alarmed and chiding manner. "Does he need to go to the hospital?"</p>
<p>"No, that's alright", he said reassuringly. "I'm a doctor, and all I'll need are a few supplies. Believe me, it looks much worse than it actually is. The best thing he can do is rest, and this hotel will provide that accommodation far better than a hospital would."</p>
<p>She seemed convinced. "What do you need?"</p>
<p>Tieria rattled off a list of bandages, gauze, antiseptics, stitching equipment and other items. The receptionist assured him that the nurse's station likely had everything he would need, and that room service would deliver them shortly to their room.</p>
<p>Satisfied with the arrangements, Tieria walked over to Setsuna and let him know that they could go up to their room. Setsuna looked even worse than he had originally thought; he was quite pale.</p>
<p>They entered their room on the third floor. The first thing Setsuna did was walk carefully over to the nearest bed and sit down on the edge. He sat hunched for a moment, and then thinking better of it, let himself drop back so that we was lying down. He was likely to fall asleep that way, and it wasn't safe for him to do so yet. Tieria gave him five minutes, and then he would insist that he sit up. In the meantime, Tieria could begin assessing his injuries. He sat down on the bed so he could get a good look. </p>
<p>The blood on his face, which had accumulated since the clean-up on car ride, could be easily traced to his scalp. Tieria reached out and parted his hair, and saw that the wound wasn't very deep. Those sorts of injuries just tend to bleed a lot. Regene told him to look on his left side, so he lifted Setsuna's shirt. He saw a formal tie wrapped tightly around his ribs that he must have been wearing earlier this evening, which was soaked through with blood. He didn't want to remove the tie until he had the medical supplies. He asked Regene what happened.</p>
<p>"They were able to figure out that he was an Innovator, but they didn't let-on until it was too late for him to react. They had the element of surprise, punching him and stabbing at him with a knife. Only the head wound was significant. But they then managed to shoot him through his side as he was escaping; he thinks it's no more than three centimeters in from his side and that it went straight through. He's lost a lot of blood."</p>
<p>"Ok, no other significant injuries?"</p>
<p>"No. But just check for a concussion."</p>
<p>Setsuna had his eyes open then, but he didn't move. Tieria gathered up his legs and knelt on the bed, and then leaned forward so that his weight was on one arm. The other hand was widening Setsuna's eye, and Tieria leaned closer still to see that his eye was dilating as it should. "No concussion" he told Setsuna, as he looked right back into Tieria's eyes. Tieria then decided to reach down and push Setsuna up by the shoulders. "Come on. Take a shallow bath to clean up."</p>
<p>Setsuna nodded, and made his way slowly to the bathroom. Tieria listened carefully once he was in the bathroom, to make sure that he didn't pass out. After a few minutes he heard a knock at the door. He called out "Yes?"</p>
<p>"It's room service with your bandages sir."</p>
<p>"Thank you. Please leave them at the door. I'm in the middle of something."</p>
<p>A minute after he heard the elevator doors close he retrieved the basket and headed back into the room. Once at the desk near the bed, he placed the basket down and took account of the materials he was given. It would do.</p>
<p>The bathroom would be the best place to stitch him, since blood was easiest to clean up there. Tieria walked over to the bathroom door and knocked "Are you ready?"</p>
<p>Setsuna calmly answered "Yes", and Tieria walked into the room with the basket. Setsuna was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, and leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He had a towel around his hips and the same tie around his ribs. Though the tub was drained, he could see a little bit of pink water on the bottom.</p>
<p>"I'll start with the most severe injury. Sit on the floor but don't lie down." Setsuna was a little slow to respond but he complied, sitting on the floor with his legs straight out. Tieria then sat down on the floor next to him, and cut away the once-fancy tie that was now dark red and sopping wet. The entry point was indeed 3 centimeters in, and the exit point was 2 centimeters in. Both wounds were only the diameter of a bullet, which is quite fortunate. Internal cavitation was still possible, but not life threatening due to the location of the wound.</p>
<p>Now truly satisfied that he could take care of it himself, Tieria washed his hands, doused the wounds in iodine, and set to stitching them closed. He put the threaded needle into the fire of his lighter and positioned his legs so that one was in front of Setsuna and was behind him. He worked quickly and efficiently, and he noticed only the barest of grimaces from Setsuna when he looked up to his face.</p>
<p>There was definitely some protrusion near the wound in front. "You may have broken a rib or two. Sit up straight; I'm going to set them." It would be least painful in the long-run if he didn't act delicately here. Tieria sat himself closer to Setsuna, so that the next step would be easier. His right hand held firmly to Setsuna's back for support, and his left hand felt along the slight bulge that was Setsuna's rib. It seemed to be cleanly broken, while the neighboring rib was only fractured. Setsuna was breathing rhythmically in order to ignore the pain of Tieria movements. Not only was he feeling the ribs, he was putting pressure on the newly closed wound as well.</p>
<p>Tieria gave his warning, and then firmly moved the broken rib into position. Setsuna gave a short yell as it was set into place. Tieria then wasted no time to tie the bandages tightly around him. When he was done, he sat back with his weight on his arms and observed his work.</p>
<p>"It feels much better" Setsuna said in the way of thanks. And he was starting to look a little healthier already.</p>
<p>The gash on Setsuna's scalp, however, had started to bleed again.</p>
<p>"I'm going to have to shave your head to close that wound properly." Tieria couldn't help but feel a little saddened at the aesthetical loss. That thick, unruly hair of his was quite becoming.</p>
<p>Setsuna nodded, un-phased, then he swiped his thumb at the trickle of blood that made it to his eyebrow.</p>
<p>Tieria grabbed some gauze and placed it firmly on the cut, and then got up to speak to room service over the phone. He asked for everything he thought they might need for the rest of the night, and then made it back to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Setsuna had taken over applying pressure to his head, but was otherwise in the same position as he left him. Tieria leaned against the wall, and they both stayed silent until room service brought what they asked for. Tieria followed the same procedure as before, and brought everything into the room himself.</p>
<p>Hair buzzer and scissors in hand, he went back to work. Standing on his knees in front of Setsuna, he sheared off the hair around the area where he knew the gash to be. For the hair near the wound itself, he cut with scissors. He also had to use tweezers to free a small number of errant strands, and then use more gauze to clear the area. Once the wound was clearly visible, he was able to see that it would indeed be easily stitched.</p>
<p>"Ok, this will be much easier than the last one" he said, even though it was obvious.</p>
<p>He prepared the needle and thread and iodine, and stitched quickly once again. It was only at this point that Tieria let himself relax some. There was just a little more to take care of before Tieria let Setsuna rest. He grabbed the buzzer once again, and finished the job of cutting off his hair. He ran the electric cutter through in long sections, and used his other hand to rub the cut hair off of his head. "I would say you're out of the woods. How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>"The pain isn't too bad. But the blood loss is making me feel weak."</p>
<p>"I've ordered some food up here. Why don't you eat it now?"</p>
<p>Setsuna nodded and stood up slowly. Tieria decided that Setsuna would do fine on his own, and cleaned up the bathroom, leaving no trace of DNA behind. He joined Setsuna ten minutes later, with a filled iced pack and pain relieving medicine in hand. He tossed the pack lightly to Setsuna, who applied it immediately to his face. Once Tieria smelled his own meal, he realized how hungry he was and polished it off in about two minutes. The next he noticed Setsuna, he was lying down asleep on his bed with the ice pack falling off his cheek. The cap to the pain medication was off, and the bottle was on the nightstand.</p>
<p>Nothing else could be done tonight. They had four hours left to sleep before they needed to get moving.<br/>Sparing a moment to check the regularity of Setsuna's breathing, he then threw the ice pack into the sink, and went to bed. He drifted off while talking to Regene about the night's events.</p>
<p>Tieria awoke to the sound of the alarm clock at 0600. It took him a few seconds to take in his surroundings, and then remember the urgency of the situation he and Setsuna were in. This was not terribly early, but the sun has not yet risen. Also, it was a Sunday morning, and there would not be many people up and about at this hour. As he pulled on his clothing from the previous night, he let Regene know that he was awake.</p>
<p>"The sooner you leave the better. The Innovator hate group investigated Setsuna after his escape, and they came across the pictures identifying him as one of the Gundam meisters. I have no evidence that they went to the military with the information, but they could have easily used alternate channels. They are becoming increasingly good at staying off the grid, after all."</p>
<p>Tieria called Sumeragi on his comm and the three worked out the best possible strategy for their situation. In the end, Sumeragi ordered, "Blend in and keep a sedate pace, unless you are confronted by the police or military. Assume you are a high priority to find. Setsuna's slight change in appearance due to the shaved head may be enough to avert suspicion, but his bruised face may be the give-away characteristic they're looking for. Most stores are closed at this time, but find a way to cover the bruises. If you are confronted, get out of there at all costs. Regene can keep an eye on the street cameras and let you know if there is anything to avoid. Get in your Gundams and come back to the Ptolemy. Only let Setsuna rest on your way back to the Ptolemy if he is too weak to do otherwise."</p>
<p>Tieria put the plan into action immediately. He roused Setsuna, and checked him over to make sure that he was well enough to pull this off while explaining their course of action at the same time. Looking at him, he could see that the answer wasn't a simple "yes" or "no". He could tell that he could handle a certain level of stress, but there were limits. The risk of staying was greater, however, so they would start moving.</p>
<p>They grabbed a few items from the not-yet-open breakfast buffet, and drank plenty of water. While passing through the lobby, they notice a couple of tired looking women waiting on the sofa while a third woman was talking to the person at the front desk. Tieria looked on, confused, as Setsuna walked slightly unsteadily over to them. The women looked back, and it was easy to see that they found the state of his face distasteful.</p>
<p>"Excuse me. I was mugged last night. Could I please borrow some concealer to make the bruising less obvious?" Leave it to Setsuna to get straight to the point.</p>
<p>The expressions of the women became pitying, similar to if they had found a kicked puppy. The one on the right said "Oh, of course." Then to the one on the left, "Give him yours, your skin tone is a closer match." The woman on the left opened her purse and then said "Here you are", while giving him a small bottle of liquid.</p>
<p>Setsuna walked off to the bathroom with his thanks, and the women turned their attention to Tieria. "That was kind of you" he said with a polite smile.</p>
<p>As they took in his appearance, their gazed turned to ones of interest. This was not uncommon for him, but it has been ages so it took him a little by surprise. He smiled politely only slightly, in a gentle rebuff. He remembered a time when he would have frowned in annoyance. "It was no problem," said the one that had given her concealer. </p>
<p>He called for the car and walked back at the same time as the third woman to the sofa. They made small talk about their reasons for being in town until Setsuna came back. From a distance, which was most important for their purpose, it was a vast improvement. As he came closer, Tieria could see how the makeup was smeared on in thick globs which made him look rather ridiculous. He handed the nearly empty bottle back, thanked them again and walked out the door.</p>
<p>"We do have a lot of sight-seeing to do" he said to explain the behavior that the women took as a little rude. He said, "Take care," as he left behind Setsuna.</p>
<p>It was still fully dark out, but the sun would start rising before long. Tieria got into the driver's seat of their car and they took off towards the bay. Tieria wondered how Setsuna was doing, but didn't ask. He was likely beyond being able to assess himself properly, so he would just assume he couldn’t fight. </p>
<p>At that point, Regene informed them that all of the state-owned street cameras in a 50 kilometer radius from Washington D.C. were going closed-circuit. This significantly reinforced the fact that they had to be careful.</p>
<p>He parked the car at a diner as another measure to not draw attention, as opposed to parking illegally in front of the dock. Just a few more blocks until they would reach the motor boat that they had rented. They walked as if they had a destination but were in no hurry to get there, and were eating the breakfast foods they had taken with them.</p>
<p>Tieria scanned the area continuously with his eyes, knowing the darkness would hide the action. They turned the last corner and Tieria could see their dock about 200 meters away. A couple of people were in the distance. One walking toward them 400 meters away on their side of the street, and the other opening up a shop about 100 meters away on the other side of the street.</p>
<p>Tieria thought it would be a good time to have a conversation about local news with Setsuna, as concerned about blending in as ever. The shop owner was inside by the time they passed him. Scanning back to the approaching person in the distance, it became clear that it was a jogger. A car came slowly down the street then. It looked like there were two occupants. The meisters kept up the casual talk as they made glances at the oncoming car. As it approached, the shape of police hats on their heads became clear. It was an unmarked police car. Tieria and Setsuna got seemingly even more involved in their conversation. The car slowed even further and then pulled over on the wrong side of the road ahead of them in order to be right next to the pair as they passed.</p>
<p>"Where are you off to, boys?" said the policeman that was driving the car.</p>
<p>Once engaged, Tieria and Setsuna did not hesitate. They ran the rest of the way to the dock entrance which was, fortunately or unfortunately, not very far from the police officers.</p>
<p>They used the office building next to the dock as cover, leaning against the side face. Tieria could hear the cops getting out of their car, and yelling after them. It seemed like they could have gotten out of the car sooner than that, so Tieria assumed that they called for backup while Tieria and Setsuna were still running. He retrieved the gun from the holster on his calf. As he did so, Setsuna jumped down the first slip and onto a jet ski. A jet ski is highly maneuverable, making it a good escape vehicle. "I'll hotwire it," yelled Setsuna.</p>
<p>Tieria nodded and provided cover. He could hear their pursuers running towards them. Tieria took his head and arm out of cover and shot a round at the nearer one's feet, and then he promptly retreated stating "Stay where you are!"</p>
<p>He heard the two go flat against the wall. "Is your friend Setsuna F. Seiei?"</p>
<p>Tieria, of course, did not respond. Instead, he listened carefully to determine if they were walking forward. Luckily, it appeared that they were not stupid enough to try.</p>
<p>"Get on," he heard Setsuna yell. Tieria shot one more bullet into the sidewalk, to make them hesitate for a few extra seconds as he ran for the jet ski. It was idling out of the slip so he leapt on, landing with his feet on one side and his arms on the seat. He didn't even right himself before Setsuna took off full-speed. He managed to sit properly and grab onto his shoulders, and then Setsuna started evasive maneuvers. They both leaned into the sharp and unexpected turns.</p>
<p>Gunfire ran passed them and cut into the water. Tieria turned around once and shot back as a deterrent. After he faced forward again, he felt a sudden agonizing pain at his right upper arm, and he yelled out in both surprise and pain, unconsciously grabbing Setsuna hard with his left arm. He realized he must have been shot.</p>
<p>The shock of fear that ran through him was momentarily paralyzing. It was a sample of the pain he felt when he had died. The pain was renewed every time the jet ski landed from a skim, and this helped him to stay focused on the present. His instinct was to support the broken arm, but he did not dare do so because that would put him in danger of falling off. And falling off would hurt the injury much worse, and waste time they did not have.</p>
<p>When they were out of range, Setsuna let the jet ski idle, stood up, and turned around fully in his seat. He noticed what was wrong right away, and tore the bottom of his shirt. Tieria also took the opportunity to inspect the injury. There was no exit wound, so the bullet was likely stuck in the bone. The panic he felt when he was first hit subsided, but his throat was still feeling tight. Setsuna tied the ripped cloth around the arm to lessen the bleeding, which Tieria gritted his teeth for. The saltwater that misted onto the wound directly and onto the shirt piece made it even more painful than in needed to be. Then he took off his shirt altogether and made it into a makeshift sling. "Can you make it?" he asked, as if he already expected that he would say "yes".</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>Setsuna turned back around in the seat and headed towards their sunken Gundams.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They began their approaches to dock, and Tieria was struggling to hold onto consciousness. Both he and<br/>Setsuna being wounded, it had been a hard few hours for the meisters before they reached a particular forest in West Africa, where the Ptolemy had moved to from the desert.</p>
<p>Once securely in the hangar, he opened the cockpit door with the push of a button. Then he mentally prepared himself to unfasten his harnesses and get out, any second now; but that turned out to be unnecessary because the crew proved to be faster. He heard two people run up the metal steps towards him. He looked to the side and saw Lyle come into view first, then Feldt behind him.</p>
<p>"Can you get up?" asked Lyle. He had on such a serious expression. Tieria hadn't realized that he had missed him until just now.</p>
<p>Lyle reached in and started unfastening the buckles for him. He enjoyed the physical closeness, even though it was to get him to the infirmary all the more quickly. Lyle smelled nice. He didn't wait for an answer, thought Tieria. He would just answer him now. He looked at Lyle's face and said "I can get the harness."</p>
<p>Lyle gave him a pitying smile. "I got them all. Here, I'll help you up."</p>
<p>Tieria took the arm that was offered to him and stood up. He got himself clumsily out of the cockpit and approached the steps. Feldt looked on in concern, and Tieria assured her that he could make it just fine. He carefully made his way down to ground level at a slow pace without the help that was offered to him. He wanted to get to the infirmary under his own power. He walked past the stretcher that was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and both Lyle and Feldt followed behind him. Up ahead, Ian and Lasse were carrying Setsuna on another stretcher. Tieria wondered if he lost consciousness.</p>
<p>Step by shuffled step he continued. The movements made the pain in his broken arm worse. His head felt quite fuzzy at this point, and he wasn't sure if he would make it. So tired. As he turned the corner his vision went white. He squatted down, in hopes of ending the white-out.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>It was a couple of days later that Tieria and Lockon set out into the forest to ensure that the perimeter was secure. Their perimeter was much smaller here than it was possible to have in the desert, so they had to stay on foot to remain unseen.</p>
<p>His arm was in a cast, which limited his maneuverability, but not by enough that he needed to stay behind. Plus, he felt the strong need to move around, after having stayed in bed for two days.<br/>They walked in a comfortable silence for some time, and Tieria enjoyed the view of the lush foliage at the same time as he observed the area for anything at odds with their surroundings. The only disturbances that he saw were caused by animals that were indigenous to the area.</p>
<p>Encouraged by a few questions from Lyle, Tieria spoke about the more interesting details of his recent mission. When they were about halfway done with the patrol, Lyle lit up a cigarette and leaned against a nearby tree.</p>
<p>Taking the cue for a break, Tieria scanned ahead for a few moments and then leaned against a neighboring tree. Though he leaned gently, the shift moved his broken arm and an unpleasant wave of pain moved though him. He clenched his teeth some and closed his eyes as he waited it out.</p>
<p>Lyle spoke to him when he opened his eyes again. "You were almost home free. It must have been some lucky shot."</p>
<p>"It certainly took me by surprise" agreed Tieria. And then he remembered the pure panic he felt the moment he got shot. "Actually, it scared me senseless. For a few seconds, it made me remember what it felt like to be dying. And I thought that maybe it would happen again."</p>
<p>Their eyes met then. Lyle looked like there were many questions he wanted to ask, but didn't know how to start, or if he should. Tieria thought he understood the feeling. Tieria, too, wasn't used to talking about such things. He had voiced his thoughts on impulse, and it felt a little awkward to him. But he also felt relieved to speak of them to someone who could understand what he meant. Maybe not understand on all levels, but understand enough for it to be a comfort.</p>
<p>"How did you recover from the shock?"</p>
<p>"When nothing else hit me, I think I eventually realized that the danger was passed. Also, the continued pain of my arm gave me a distraction. The pain that remained felt different than the initial impact."<br/>They each stayed lost in their own thoughts until Lyle stamped out the butt of his cigarette. As he stood up straight, he said "Oh, one more thing." He closed the distance between them, leaving just enough room so as to not touch his casted arm. They looked at each other, and Tieria could feel the stress caused by his thoughts leave him, replacing it with all of the emotions that Lyle causes within him. The most present of those feelings at the moment was a calmness that came with being so near him after spending days without him.</p>
<p>Lyle then kissed him soundly, and unhurriedly. Tieria could taste and smell the cigarette he had just had; something he was beginning to associate with Lyle. He pushed his tongue into Tieria's mouth, massaging in a delicious rhythm, and Tieria's tongue responded in equal force. Tieria tried to express through the kiss some of the things he still couldn't say. And he thought that maybe Lyle was doing the same thing. Lyle pulled himself away slowly and, after lingering there for a few seconds, said "Welcome back", smiled, and continued along their path.</p>
<p>Tieria wondered if Lyle knew what he was in for the next time the two of them were alone.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>With Tieria and Setsuna sufficiently rested, the team could discuss what had happened during their mission and come up with their next plan of action. In attendance were the meisters, Sumeragi, and Regene by way of computer terminal. The two pilots gave their accounts of everything they witnessed, and now they would combine that insight with what they had already known.</p>
<p>Setsuna sat with his arms folded, and back against his chair. "The impression I got from the Naturalists is that they were not very organized. Many of them have families and they meet as often as once a month." Setsuna said. "But in reality, they're more capable of keeping their plans hidden from Veda than we thought was probable". It was obvious, at least to Tieria, that Setsuna didn't like that they were able to fool him into a false sense of security in their presence. It was only a slight hard edge to his voice that gave it away.</p>
<p>"Maybe they have an inner circle within the group, and the general members don't even realize all of their capabilities. If there is such a group, the members are either militant or paranoid" said Sumeragi.</p>
<p>"If they're ready to start a fight, that's very troubling. If they want to keep off the grid on principle… We'll they've proven themselves to be harmful either way, haven't they." said Lyle, gesturing toward Setsuna to point out his injuries.</p>
<p>"What I learned from the one gathering I went to is still credible enough to corroborate our other sources. The colonies will see trouble first. Tieria heard that many Innovators were drawn to the colonies, and I heard that the Naturalists don't want them to have a majority representation out there." Setsuna added.</p>
<p>It was silent then, and with that line of thought exhausted, Tieria thought it prudent to bring up a detail of his mission that he skipped over previously. He had debated waiting until another day. They had so much to discuss already, and the subject also made him uncomfortable. But if they were going to move forward with the best plan possible, then Celestial Being needed to know all of the weapons available to them today.</p>
<p>Tieria leaned forward in his seat then, and put his arm down on the table in front of him. "I learned that I have an interesting ability," he began. He gained their attention quickly, and continued without much pause. "Right before I left the Innovator lounge to rendezvous with Setsuna, the argumentative Innovator grabbed my wrist. It was a weak grip and I could have easily gotten free…but instead, I controlled his mind and forced him to let go and step away." Tieria could see the surprised looks on the faces of the others. "He didn't know what I did, by the confused look on his face when it was over." He gave them a moment to absorb the information before continuing. "This is the same ability that Ribbons used so liberally," he said, though he knew they likely arrived at that conclusion on their own. He and Regene had discussed at length the implications and the ethics of its use between themselves, and they believe that it's worthwhile for Tieria to train this ability. On willing participants only, of course. But Tieria wanted to hear what the group thought without hearing his preconceptions first, so he waited.</p>
<p>Sumerai looked thoughtful, Lyle had a closed off expression, and Setsuna looked interested. Sumeragi spoke first. "That can certainly be used to our advantage, and we'll need to think carefully about its appropriate use. Are you willing to train this ability?"</p>
<p>Everyone looked to Tieria expectantly. "Yes, but very cautiously, and only with members of Celestial Being."</p>
<p>Regene joined in. "I've had first and second-hand experience at being controlled in this way. I agree that training should only be done amongst people that have the same goals. In the end, it's a weapon that can emotionally torture the target."</p>
<p>"If I don't train it at all, I'm afraid that I'll use it even when I don't wish to. That's what happened during the mission; it wasn't a conscious decision."</p>
<p>"Try it on me," urged Setsuna. And he put on a hardened face that let Tieria know that he meant him to do it right now.</p>
<p>He looked to the others, and they all spoke their agreement. Tieria's pulse quickened at the prospect. After some thought, he agreed. "Alright."</p>
<p>Regene then recited the procedure that would give them the most information. "Tieria, have him do something slightly painful, so that he has an incentive to fight it. Setsuna, you should keep your mind neutral to start with, and then gradually increase the strength of your resistance. That is, if you can resist at all."</p>
<p>Tieria knew just what he wanted to use. He grabbed the emergency candle set that was in a nearby cabinet and set the candle on the stand in the middle of the table. He lit the candle promptly and stared at it a moment. Then he put his hand over the flame, at different heights, to test the amount of pain produced based on the closeness to the fire. He pulled his hand away instinctively when it was almost touching the flame, and shook it. He then pushed the candle closer to Setsuna and locked eyes with him. He looked like he was ready.</p>
<p>Tieria reached out with his mind gently. When that didn't seem to have an effect, he tried harder. He kept it up for a few minutes with no result, and then he stopped the effort. "Link to Veda" he told Setsuna. "That might be a necessary part of it." A moment later, he tried again, and he was able to sense Setsuna. Then he pushed into his mind. He could tell that he had been successful but he didn't let the victory divert his focus. He told Setsuna through the link to place his hand over the candle, and he did so without hesitation. He then told him to move his hand down close enough that he knew it would be uncomfortable but not yet painful. A few seconds later, Tieria felt the first signs of resistance, but he could easily subdue them. He told Setsuna to move his hand lower still, to a point where he knew it would hurt him, but only cause a burn if he stayed there for a minute or so. The resistance increasingly grew more forceful and wild, and after about 30 seconds, he let go. </p>
<p>As soon as he did, he felt the compulsion to jump back as his mind was pushed back, and he must have done so in his seat. He was teetering on the back legs of his chair, about to overbalance, and he could hear Setsuna yelling out in effort. Instead of falling backward, however, someone pushed down on his leg so that his seat was righted again. He slowly put his head forward onto the table to stop the vertigo he was feeling. Lyle still had his hand on his leg, and Tieria put his own hand on top of it in an attempt to ground himself. His head felt numb. When he finally felt stable enough to raise his head, he saw Setsuna in front of him, looking as miserable as he felt.</p>
<p>Regene then said "The two of you are exceptionally strong Innovators, as am I. It will be beneficial to train together. I suspect that Setsuna and I are both also capable of performing this ability."</p>
<p>"Are you ready to join us then?" asked Sumerai.</p>
<p>"Yes, I'm ready now." Tieria knew that besides the obvious benefits of having a body, Regene has been getting lonely. Switching back to the subject at hand, Regene asked, "Are you up for one more test, Tieria?"</p>
<p>Tieria didn't answer, because he wasn't so sure that he was.</p>
<p>Regene continued along anyway. "It will be a unique opportunity to catch an Innovator unawares. There are two other Innovators on the ship, and they don't know what you can do, so are completely unprepared for it. You can also see if it works at a bit of a distance. So far, you have only done this at a close range."</p>
<p>"I’m not convinced that would be ethical," Sumeragi said.</p>
<p>Regene was not the most compassionate of people, but the logic held true, thought Tieria. "We established earlier that anyone in Celestial Being would be performing our mission by participating. And, knowing Feldt and Lasse as we do, I think they would agree to this. But it is important that they don't know about it in advance, as Regene says."</p>
<p>"But since they wouldn't see it coming, you should use a lighter touch. To be honest, this doesn't sit well with me. But if it's very subtle, I won't disagree." Lyle said with a frown on his face. Tieria didn't forget that Anew was controlled by Ribbons when her desires deviated from his, which lead to her death. It was likely that this more than just “didn’t sit well” with him.</p>
<p>Tieria squeezed his hand more tightly. "It will be a light touch", assured Tieria. "It won't involve pain either". All eyes were on Tieira again and he explained what he was thinking. "I don't know about Lasse's aversions, but Feldt is famous for hating broccoli. If I can persuade her to eat it, then success will be obvious.</p>
<p>"Pay attention to what those first moments feel like for future reference. And don't give her time to panic. Make her feel comfortable as quickly as you can." advised Regene.</p>
<p>Tieria again looked to everyone for approval, which he received, and then became focused on his link. He sought out Feldt as best he could, but he couldn't find her. He dug deeper still, remembering what her bodiless self felt like, and then he found it. A small tether that still connected her, even though she wasn't linked. He touched it gently and he expanded easily into her mind. There was no resistance. This was different than the battering-ram approach he used on Setsuna. He suggested to her that she was very hungry and that broccoli was so delicious, that she had to have some right now. For good measure he also told her the health benefits. He held a picture of it in her mind and kept it there, repeating his words.</p>
<p>Then he could feel that she started to believe the suggestions. He then pulled back a little and waited to see if he needed to keep up the effort, or if the idea was firmly planted in her head. She excused herself from the bridge, which is not something she would have normally done so abruptly while on duty. She followed the request procedure, though, even though Tieira didn't specifically tell her to. This indicated that she kept most of her lucidity. She made it to the mess hall and was pleasantly surprised to see that broccoli was being served. She had been prepared to make it herself if she had to. Tieria could feel her emotions, which did not happen with Setsuna, and it felt like an intrusion. But he stayed there in the back of her mind. Tieria had to pull back a little further in order to communicate with the group the way that he wanted to. He said, "Let's go to the mess hall," to the room and started the journey himself without waiting for them. It was difficult to navigate, because his mind was in two places at once, but someone, presumably Lyle, guided him into turns and didn't let him crash into walls.</p>
<p>All the while, Feldt gathered herself a heaping pile of broccoli, and had begun to dig in. Here was another part of the test; Now that she was actually eating it, would she still think it tasted good? She did, and she continued to eat it at a pace that one would eat junk food. The group entered the mess hall when she was on her fifth piece. He could feel how happy she was on the inside, and now he could see the enjoyment on her face as well.</p>
<p>"Hello everyone" she said pleasantly. "You should try this, it's so good!"</p>
<p>They sat around her, and each took a piece to make her at ease. Then Sumeragi said "I didn't think you liked broccoli." She was testing the strength of his control.</p>
<p>"I haven't had it in years, so maybe my tastes changed." she said good-naturedly.</p>
<p>"What made you think to try it again?" Lyle joined in.</p>
<p>"Just a feeling. More like a craving, actually." she responded.</p>
<p>"How good is it on a scale of one to ten?" asked Sumeragi.</p>
<p>"A ten. Right up there with French fries."</p>
<p>"Let it go, Tieria." instructed Sumeragi. And he gently extricated himself from her mind. After that, he shut his link completely. He was left feeling rather energized.</p>
<p>Feldt picked up another piece of broccoli and chewed it merrily. Before she could swallow, however, her pleased face turned to one of disgust. She swallowed quickly, and hurriedly picked up her glass of water to drink. When she was done, she looked very confused. "Why did I think it was a good idea to eat broccoli? I can't remember."</p>
<p>"Try to remember," urged Tieria.</p>
<p>She sat quiet for a minute and then said, "I don't know. I even ate a lot of them before they tasted as bad as I remembered." After inspecting every ones faces she said "What's going on? Why are you all so interested in this? You act like I might be getting sick or something."</p>
<p>Tieria felt that the responsibility was his to tell her what happened. So he explained to her what led to this particular experiment, and explained to all what he had done and how she reacted. By the time he finished, tears were rolling down her face. She took a moment to speak, and she said in a soft voice, "You made the right choice. It feels horrible… to know that something I thought I was feeling was placed there…but I'd rather you find these things out from me than from a civilian. And it really was a benign suggestion, to eat a certain food. I just can't help my reaction, that's all." she said and then wiped her face with her hand.</p>
<p>"Thank you," said Tieria, for both her help and her understanding, and put his hand on her shoulder. She cried a little harder now and hugged him around his neck. The action jarred his broken arm but he didn't show it, except in his face, which she couldn't see. He hugged her back with one arm, glad that she didn't hold a grudge.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>The group stayed in the cafeteria and had a broccoli-free lunch, then set off on their own for a while until they would reconvene in half an hour. Tieria took the opportunity to pull Lyle aside, out of hearing of everyone else that stayed in the mess. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry if that was difficult for you,” Tieria started. </p>
<p>“It kinda was, yea. Thanks.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p>
<p>“Not really, no. At least, not right now,” he replied not unkindly.</p>
<p>“I hope… you don’t think too differently of me,” Tieria said, voicing his fear.</p>
<p>Lyle’s eyes softened. “You were worried about that? I know…you didn’t choose to be able to do what you can do. It’s just a lot to take in. But, the more I think about it, if anyone can be trusted with such a power, it’s you.”</p>
<p>Tieria was touched by his vote of confidence. “Thank you. I don’t want it in the first place, but I’ll do my best to live up to that trust.” He place a hand on his arm, and rubbed his thumb against him once before pulling away. </p>
<p>Ten minutes later he was sitting quietly on his own in thought, when Regene said it him, “Sooo...Lockon Stratos?”</p>
<p>His mouth twitched into a smile. “So the rumor mill is running its course I suppose.”</p>
<p>“Not quite, which I’m pretty put-out about. But I’m even more put-out at the fact that you didn’t tell me yourself.” </p>
<p>“I figured you would be here in person soon enough. How did you find out then if it wasn’t gossip?”</p>
<p>“Sumeragi was just running some ideas by me and it came up… So, how serious is it with him?”</p>
<p>“Its…serious, but still early on. I really like him. What was Sumeragi running by you then?”</p>
<p>“You’ll find out. I would normally tell you more, but I’ll let you know what it feels like to not be in-the-know.” Then he was gone. He could be a real brat sometimes. </p>
<p>~</p>
<p>By the time they reconvened, the heavy atmosphere was dissipated and they went back to the subject of where their mission would go from here. With all arguments made that they could think of, Sumeragi had a look on her face that she gets when she had put a plan together, and everyone sat patiently until she was ready to speak.</p>
<p>"Neither side of this conflict will let their plans slip to others easily, and they may both have means of ensuring secrecy. We need someone who is not an Innovator to appeal to the Naturalists, who use alternate communication methods. We also need an Innovator, to appeal to the Innovator community and confirm whether there are firewalls as Regene believes there are within Veda's low level capabilities. The best course of action is to initiate a long-term mission, which will begin as observation but may change at any time to operational. This will be different from other two-man missions. What I have in mind will cause an unconventional dynamic that no one is likely to look for, including the military, when screening for spies. Tieria, Lockon," She looked at each of them in turn, "you will enter separately and make acquaintances at the selected colony. You'll live in apartments and have full time jobs. And then, at your own discretion, the two of you will meet, as if for the first time, and begin to date. The fact that you already have a real relationship means that there will be little acting involved, which makes it a more realistic scenario. With this, not only are we spying on both sides, but we're trying to unite them. Humanize the other side."</p>
<p>Tieria was taken aback, and he didn't know what to think of it. When he looked at Lyle, he seemed undecided as well. He didn't hurry to respond, taking all of the time he needed to process it. Using his link, the details were filling in for him even though only a general outline was given. The two could act as if they had an ordinary life for a while, which is something that he's never had, but could he use his personal feelings as a tool? What if the stresses of the mission doomed their true relationship, leaving only a politically motivated imitation? Tieria also recognized that the mission plan was brilliant. He could feel his cheeks burning the more he thought about the plan.</p>
<p>Seeing their hesitation she said "It's a lot to ask of you. If you agree, we'll work out the details in the coming weeks." Then she left, leaving the others to think it through.</p>
<p>"Regene, did you help with this plan?" asked Tieria suspiciously aloud. Regene was mining for information when talking with him earlier. </p>
<p>"Of course. With Veda, we've thought it through from all angles. Each stage of the mission is only used if the conditions are right for it. And there are contingencies if those conditions are never met."</p>
<p>Tieria thought in silence for a few minutes. He didn't wish to link right now and read those details that<br/>Regene gathered. He didn't need them to decide a basic 'yes' or 'no' anyway.</p>
<p>"If you don't need me here, I'm going to sign off" said Regene. No one responded, and there a soft click that indicated that he ended the communication.</p>
<p>Only the three meisters remained, and none of them seemed ready to speak. It wasn't uncommon for them to stay behind after the strategists laid out a plan, but there had never been this thick layer of discomfort before.</p>
<p>Setsuna decided to speak first. "I'm not sure exactly what it is the two of you have together, but it will have to be strong in order for this plan to be worth doing. As an alternative, you could try to bring both sides together by demonstrating friendship. That must be one of the contingencies that Regene talked about."</p>
<p>Lyle responded. "Thinking about it in those terms makes me feel a little better about it. Play it by ear… And if all goes well, I can come to a clean home at the end of a busy day to Tieria making me dinner!" Then he smiled, knowing how well he irritated Tieria.</p>
<p>Tieria chose not to rise to the bait. He was sure Lyle knew very well that even though he kept things neat, that he had no intention of performing all of the domestic tasks for two.</p>
<p>"Then he could massage my feet… and iron my shirts…and buy me plenty of beer and whiskey…and sing me songs while I'm in the shower…"</p>
<p>Tieria's irritation turned into amusement as the list grew, and he couldn't help but laugh out-loud. "Don't get ahead of yourself." he said with a smile. He was surprised to realize that most of the anxiety cause by this plan left him. How it moved along would be up to them.</p>
<p>The ice broken for all of them, they were able to talk more openly about the mission.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Later that night Tieria lay on his bed, using Lyle's outstretched leg to support his head. They listened to soft music as Lyle absentmindedly combed his fingers through Tieria's hair. They both had their eyes closed.</p>
<p>Tieria was linked before, reviewing major worldwide news (though he still wasn’t inclined to read Regene’s files), but now he was just focusing on the attention that Lyle was giving him. With each passing minute, his breathing was getting a little faster. What started out as a calming gesture now built him up until it made him as horny as anything. But he wasn't all that surprised, considering this is the closest they had been since before his mission with Setsuna while alone. He could also remember the way he felt from the kiss they shared earlier on patrol. Wanting to feel that way again, he opened his eyes, and reached out his hand to grab the top of Lyle's undershirt, which was the only top that they were each wearing. He then pulled down gently to get his attention. When their eyes locked, he pulled down harder.</p>
<p>Lyle got a mischievous look in his eye, moved his legs out from under Tieria's head and positioned himself over his body until his knees rested on either side of Tieria's hips and his back was slightly hunched. Tieria, having never let go of the undershirt, pulled again. Their lips met, followed quickly by tongues. It was a hungry kiss, as if remembering where they left off before. Hands were moving everywhere they could reach.</p>
<p>Lyle licked his neck then nibbled his ear with his teeth. Tieria writhed some with his back and legs, but made sure to keep his ear right where it was. Tieria moved his arm down Lyle's back and rested is hand firmly on his ass. Their lips met again and Lyle rubbed his hardened cock again Tieria's in a slow rhythm. They moaned into each other's mouths as they kissed more urgently.</p>
<p>Lyle growled as he sat up straight and took off his undershirt. Tieria unzipped Lyle's pants with the hand of his good arm. Lyle then went for Tieria's pants and took them off with great enthusiasm. Lyle rubbed at his thighs first, then to the more sensitive inner thighs, and up over his balls and cock, which were covered only by his underwear. It wasn't long before he removed the underwear as well, and his hands returned to what was previously clothed. Tieria let himself get lost in the feel of it. </p>
<p>Tieria spread this legs open invitingly as he watched Lyle come back to his senses. He gave him a playfully challenging look and he watched Lyle come over to him on hands and knees. Lyle roved his hands all over Tieria's body. Tieria wished his arm wasn't in the way and that they could lay flush together, but it was easy to focus on the positives. Lyle was giving him a ravenous look and Tieria could hardly wait until he gave in and consumed him.</p>
<p>Lyle sucked at his inner thighs and Tieria closed his eyes. He stopped thinking and just felt. Then Lyle was sucking the head of his cock and his hands were massaging everywhere that his mouth wasn't. Tieria moved his hips gently and his arousal went deeper into his mouth, making him moan. Lyle grabbed his hips and used his hands to set a pace as he thrust shallowly into his mouth. Lyle moaned deep in his throat sending vibrations through his cock. He felt orgasm start to build but he didn’t want it to end there. It was time to set his attention on Lyle. He opened his eyes when he no longer felt hands on him, and he saw Lyle standing next to the bed to remove his own pants.</p>
<p>Just then, Tieria knew just what to do in order to not let his arm get in the way. Waiting for him to take off his underwear, he jumped off the bed himself, and pushed Lyle against the wall. He kept him pressed as he let his mouth explore Lyle's chest, paying special attention to the nipples. He slowly made his way down the length of Lyle's body, and sat up on his knees to keep level with Lyle's cock. He massaged with his hand and ghosted over his straining erection with his lips. He felt Lyle clawing at the undershirt that Tieria still wore. It took some effort with his casted arm, but together they removed that last remaining article of clothing. Lyle compliantly leaned against the wall once again, and Tieria licked his cock from the base to the tip while holding it in his hand. Then he took it into his mouth as far as he could, and repeated slowly in and out, making sure to suck hard at all the right times. As he continued, he moved his hand to cup his balls and massage in rhythm with his mouth. He didn't go faster until Lyle asked him to. </p>
<p>When Lyle’s breathing sped up, he grabbed Tieria's hair loosely, which he didn't mind. He went faster still and held the pace, and then slowed down again. Lyle groaned in frustration, and Tieria let him go with a wicked smile. Lyle pulled him up by his good arm and kissed him roughly, then got behind him and pushed him gently against the wall, guiding his good arm to brace himself in front of him. “I’m not sure if this’ll work to keep your arm out of the way but he can try, if you want to,” Lyle said.  Lyle was flush against his back, his one arm over Tieria’s, the other spread across his abdomen and heading south, and mouth next to his ear as he spoke. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Tieria breathed out. He could feel Lyle smile against his neck and pump his arousal a few times before stopping. </p>
<p>They wound up moving back to the bed so that Lyle could prepare him properly, taking Tieria’s direction on how to do it, and then pleasing his cock with his mouth at the same time when he gained some confidence.   </p>
<p>Then Tieria was facing the wall again – even more of a wreck than before; Lyle’s slick cock against his entrance, giving him chills of anticipation. He kissed between his shoulder blades. Then he was pushing in, and they both moaned loudly. Once they got going, they kept a steady pace so to not be too jarring. Tieria arched his lower back to take more in. They went on and on, and when Tieria was gasping continuously and felt wound impossibly tight, he came hard into Lyle’s hand, crying out. Lyle kept moving, his own breath jagged, and a minute later, he held onto him tight as he came, biting his shoulder a little. </p>
<p>Once they parted, they laid down in the bed. Utterly spent, Tieria let his body go limp.</p>
<p>"I must have said this before, but you are so fucking hot," he heard Lyle say.</p>
<p>Tieria opened his eyes and smiled at him. "Not in those words, no. You're pretty irresistible yourself," he replied. "I just wish my arm was healed, so we don’t have to hold back." This earned him Lyle's smile in turn.</p>
<p>They were probably going to accept that mission, but they wouldn't think on it any more that day.</p>
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